Silently in Love
by Award133
Summary: Sesshomaru is the very handsome and genius ice prince of his school. Although popular, he is untouchable. Fate intervenes when a teacher asks for a simple favor. So how does one, who is not exactly the verbal type, communicate with a girl who is a mute? No doubt it involves a mess of confusion, frustration, and falling in love.
1. Chapter 1

Thank you all for your support for my other stories! I hope you enjoy this one too. I promise to make this story shorter than the last haha~ Good and bad reviews accepted!

Chapter 1

The giggles and murmurs quickly hushed as the homeroom teacher opened the door and strolled in. Tossing his books on the desk, he fixed his glasses as he cleared his throat. Some students in the class passed each other anxious glances when they noticed that their teacher had not closed the door behind him. A new transfer student was the rumor going around that morning. The classroom began to fill with excited murmurs again until the teacher knocked on the desk with his knuckle to quiet down the class.

"We have a transfer student joining us starting today." The teacher announced. The students sat up in their seats, straining their necks to catch a glimpse of the new student. "She has moved from a rural area so she may not be accustomed to the city life. Let's give her a warm welcome, shall we?" Their teacher said and looked towards the door. "Rin? Why don't you come in?" He cleared his throat again and stepped aside. Everyone brought their attention to the doorway and waited to see who walked through the door.

Rin managed to push herself away from the wall and cautiously stepped into the classroom. Her heart thumped against her chest. She had to swallow back her nerves as she walked in. She made eye contact with a couple students but she was too nervous to get a real good look at their faces. Stepping to the front of the class, she tried to stiffen her legs because they began to tremble. She was nervous but excited as well. Gripping her bag tightly, she bowed and was able to give the class a warm smile.

Straightening up, she simply continued to smile and carefully observed each and every one of her classmates' faces. They all watched her, waiting for her to begin speaking, but she never opened her mouth. The classroom fell into an awkward silence. The teacher cleared his throat.

"Everyone, this is Noto Rin. She and her family have moved from the country side to Tokyo, so this is a big change for her. She…" He hesitated, trying to find the best way to explain the situation without insulting her in any way. Rin just glanced at the teacher and gave him a reassuring smile. "…also has the inability to speak." He finished. She took a piece of chalk and began to write her name on the board. Beneath her name, she wrote; "nice to meet you all!" Turning back to face the class, she gave them another bow.

A student raised her hand and asked how they should communicate with her. Rin stuffed her hand in her pocket and pulled out her cellphone. She waved it around a bit to signal that she could communicate to them by typing her words. Everyone nodded their heads in unison, curious as to how well they would communicate with her.

"Why don't you go sit beside Inoue-san and Saki-san?" The teacher pointed Rin towards an empty desk. Sitting on either side of her desk were two girls, both smiling and waving for her to come over. Rin made her way towards them. Rin was a bit envious at how cute both girls were. One introduced herself as Mao and the other introduced herself as Chiyo. Mao had long black hair that fell in bouncy curls around her shoulders. Her nails were decorated with pink jewels and bows. Mao seemed to be very girly and the fashionable type. Chiyo had straighter and shorter hair, and seemed less concerned with fashion. Rin was relieved to find that they both seemed very friendly. Both girls pulled their desks to Rin's and shared their textbooks with her. This wasn't necessary since the three didn't pay attention to the lesson but instead passed each other notes. By lunch time, they had gotten along well and Rin felt comfortable enough to think they would be good friends. Mao and Chiyo were not the only ones who were kind to her. All her classmates made an effort to introduce themselves.

"So have you memorized how to get back home?" Chiyo asked Rin. Chiyo bit into her sandwich and wiped off the crumbs that fell onto her desk. Mao was not eating but simply drank some tea. She was apparently on a diet. Rin nodded her head in response and typed in her phone.

"_The train system is very easy."_ Chiyo read the message and nodded her head.

"Well if you ever need help, you can just message one of us." She said. Rin smiled and nodded happily. She was really glad she found people she felt she could rely on. At that moment, Rin looked up to find a classmate walking towards them. His eyes were on her and a smile was on his handsome face. She straightened in her seat. Mao and Chiyo casually waved as he came over.

"Noto-san, it's nice to meet you. I'm Kohaku." He introduced himself. Rin bowed her head to greet him and looked at him again. "I'm the class leader so if you need any help you can ask me, alright?" He smiled and Rin returned it with her own smile. He waved goodbye and walked off. Chiyo rested her chin in her hand and looked at him.

"It is no wonder he is the first year prince. He is always trying to help everyone." She said.

"Do you have a boyfriend, Rin?" She turned her attention back to Mao and Rin. Rin vigorously shook her head. And Mao nudged Rin in the gut and secretly pointed at Kohaku. She blushed and shook her head.

"A high school girl's life revolves around love." Mao sighed and sipped her tea. Chiyo rolled her eyes and gave Mao a tired expression.

"You are always like this when summer comes around." She teased and Mao just flipped her hair over her shoulder in response.

"All you do is make fun of me but you aren't getting anywhere either!" Mao said.

"I already have someone I like!" Chiyo stuck out her tongue. Mao gripped Chiyo's collar, knocking over her tea bottle in the process.

"You liar! Who is it?" She asked but Chiyo smacked her hand.

"I'm not telling you." She said and Mao tugged on the sides of her hair.

"This is not good! I need to find someone soon before summer is over!" She cried. Rin smiled at her absurdity. Although she could understand Mao's excitement to experience love, she wasn't in as big of a rush. Rin realized that it would be difficult to find someone patient enough to deal with her lack of ability to speak. Most people found it tedious to talk with her. And so Rin decided to express her opinions less as she got older and just let the other person speak.

Rin snapped back to reality and found Chiyo and Mao were still bickering with each other. She chuckled to herself and slowly packed away her lunch box. Chiyo ignored Mao and turned her attention back to Rin.

"What are you doing after school today, Rin?" She asked. Mao pouted.

"Are you guys going to play without me? I have to go to tennis club." She said. Rin looked surprised.

"_You're in the tennis club?" _She wrote.

"I know, isn't it strange? A girly person like Mao plays a sport?" Chiyo laughed but put a hand on Mao's shoulder. "But she is actually really good." She said and Mao looked proud.

"When I wear my uniform I look super cute! Boys like it." Mao winked and Chiyo rolled her eyes again. Rin responded once she saw the two of them almost begin to bicker again.

"_I still have some unpacking to do, so I should go home and help my uncle." _ She showed them her message. Chiyo realized Rin didn't mention anything about her parents and decided against asking her about it. Mao just clapped her hands.

"Okay! We can just play on a weekend when I don't have club activities either!" She smiled. Rin responded.

"_But one of these days I will come watch you practice. I am curious to see you play." _

"I'll go with you!" Chiyo said and Mao nodded excitedly. Rin felt happy. All the nerves she felt earlier that morning were long gone. She was actually looking forward to her high school debut.

* * *

The school day came to an end before Rin even realized it. As she grabbed her school bag, Mao came to her side.

"Are you all done throwing out the trash, Rin?" She asked and Rin nodded her head. "Is Chiyo still sweeping?" Rin shook her head in response and as if on cue, Chiyo made her way towards them. Chiyo glanced at the time.

"You should probably head off to tennis." She said to Mao. Mao looked at Rin.

"I'll walk with you guys to the entrance to see you off first." She said and Chiyo went to grab her own bag.

"Okay, I'm ready." She said. As the three of them started heading out of the classroom, Rin bumped into Kohaku as he was entering.

"Oh, are you leaving Rin?" He asked her. A charming smile appeared on his face when she nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow then. Have a safe trip back." He said and waved to her before someone called his name and pulled his attention elsewhere. Mao giggled. Rin was astonished.

"_He is so kind!"_ She wrote.

"That's why he is the first year prince." Chiyo shrugged.

"Chiyo has known Kohaku since they were young. They went to the same school since elementary school." Mao said with envy. "That's why she doesn't see him as a big deal." Rin nodded knowingly.

"_Is he popular with the girls then?" _Rin was curious. The three of them began to walk down the hallway.

"Oh, of course! Kohaku fits the bill as the perfect boyfriend. That's why he is the first year prince." Mao said but Chiyo snorted in an unlady-like manner. Rin frowned. Mao kept saying 'first year prince'.

"_Are there other 'princes' in the school?" _Mao and Chiyo passed each other a cheeky smile. Rin began to smile. This was getting exciting. Chiyo brought her voice down to whisper and looked around. The two of them pulled Rin closer to the wall.

"The second year prince is Inuyasha. You'll know who he is the moment you see him." Chiyo giggled.

"_How will I know? Is he really that handsome?" _Rin typed quickly.

"Not just that. He has a genetic mutation." Mao said which caused Rin to give a fearful expression. Hearing the word 'mutation' made her think of disfigured monsters from horror films. Chiyo shook her head upon seeing Rin's expression.

"No trust us, this genetic mutation makes him look inhuman." She said but Rin just looked even more scared.

"No no no, inhuman as in he is too beautiful to be human! I don't even know how to describe him." Chiyo threw her hands in the air. Mao broke in.

"He has silver hair and gold colored eyes." Mao lowered her voice even more and Rin's mouth dropped open. That had to be a lie! But she thought otherwise when Chiyo and Mao both looked quite serious.

"Too bad he is taken though." Mao sighed, dejectedly. "His girlfriend is quite average looking but she is very kind." She finished and Chiyo agreed.

"She has a twin sister but her sister is kind of cold." She said and paused talking when some upper classmen walked past them. "The guys in school really like her though because she is pretty." Rin nodded, quite interested in all this.

"Inuyasha's friend is pretty handsome too but he has a bad reputation for being a bit of a pervert." Chiyo said and Rin's mouth turned down into a grimace. "I've met him though." Chiyo continued. "Kohaku's sister is dating him. He might be a bit of a pervert but he seemed like a really good guy."

"Inuyasha's friend may be good-looking too but is nothing compared to Inuyasha."

"_Well too bad there is only one like him." _Rin joked but Chiyo and Mao vigorously shook their heads. Rin blinked in surprise.

"That's where the third year prince comes in…" Chiyo said. The air around them got so tense that Rin felt like she had to hold her breath. Mao began to speak but was interrupted by someone approaching them from behind.

"Noto Rin?" A deep voice called her name and all three of them suddenly tensed. They turned around and Rin jumped when Mao and Chiyo suddenly gasped out loudly. She felt them grip her arms and pulled her towards the wall. Rin also did not fail to notice the other students in the hallway stopped and stared in bewilderment. "Noto Rin?" The person said again and Rin looked up. No, she didn't just look up; she had to actually strain her neck to meet his gaze. His voice was so deep and low, she felt a vibration in her lower belly. She sharply sucked in her breath. Sesshomaru looked between the three of them.

"Which one of you is Noto Rin?" He asked. Mao and Chiyo both looked at Rin and he sighed. He stuffed his free hand into his pocket while the other held a book. "Are you Noto Rin?" He asked and she nodded. "Your teacher asked me to show you the way home." He said and Rin was confused as to why the teacher would ask him to do such a thing. "It seems you and I are neighbors." He finished and Rin flinched again at the sharp gasps from her school mates. Sesshomaru stared at her and she felt like he was studying her.

"I'll be at the front gates." He said and waited for her to nod before he walked off without another glance. Once he was gone, the hallway grew loud with murmurs. Mao let out a huge exhale.

"Oh my goodness! I was actually holding my breath!" She exclaimed. Rin and Chiyo also released their breaths. Chiyo stared at Rin and pointed her finger in his direction.

"_That_ was the third year prince. Inuyasha's older brother, Sesshomaru."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Rin was frozen with wonder.

"That was Taisho Sesshomaru, the third-year prince! Not only is he handsome but he is also a genius. He has the top grades." Mao began to fan herself. Rin nodded and stared in his direction even though she could no longer see him. As they had said, the genetic mutation made him look inhuman but he wasn't frighteningly ugly. He was frighteningly handsome.

"_His hair and the color of his eyes are incredible!" _Rin wrote and stared at Mao with astonishment. Mao nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

"I heard he and Inuyasha used to have their hair kept long but they were forced to cut it short for school." Mao sighed. "Such a shame…" Rin agreed. Chiyo frantically waved her hands in front of their eyes to gain their attention.

"Would you guys wake up!?" She exclaimed. "What we should be talking about is why he was asked to take Rin home and…" Chiyo paused. "…THE Sesshomaru is taking Rin home!" She emphasized again. Rin blushed in embarrassment when she realized other students were still watching and whispering about her. Mao clapped her hand.

"He said you guys are neighbors!" She exclaimed. Rin scratched her arm. Did he really say that? She couldn't remember. She had been so surprised that someone could actually be so beautiful that she didn't quite pay attention to what he said. Mao squealed.

"I am so jealous! You get to live next to Inuyasha and Sesshomaru!" She said.

"Me too! Are you excited, Rin?" Chiyo asked her. Rin just stared at them and considered it. To be honest, she didn't really care that he was her neighbor. She was more shocked at what had just happened. It was interesting that even though he was a normal human being, he seemed like a celebrity because everyone treated him like one. She almost felt honored to have met him. She wondered if she should get his autograph or something.

"You're going to be alone with him!" Mao put her hands on Rin's shoulders. "What are you going to do?" She asked her. Rin could only shrug and typed her response on her phone.

"_Just talk to him, I guess. Isn't that what people usually do?" _Chiyo tilted her head to the side and frowned.

"Sesshomaru isn't a very talkative person. That was the most I have ever heard him say…" She said.

"That's true. It might be awkward between the two of you. He doesn't like to talk and you…can't…talk." Mao said, trying to carefully choose her words. Mao felt a bit guilty afterwards and Chiyo passed her an uncomfortable glance. Rin just shook her head and gave her a reassuring smile. It was alright. It was true anyway.

"You can't just simply talk to Sesshomaru! He is special…you have to…to…" Chiyo began. Rin stood there and waited for Chiyo to finish but she didn't seem to know where she was going with her thoughts. Mao just interrupted her.

"There's no time to think about that! He told Rin to meet him at the gates! She needs to go!" She said and started pushing them down towards the shoe lockers.

* * *

"Sesshomarruuu~!" Sesshomaru walked down the hallway and disregarded all the calls and giggles from the crowd of female students. They were hanging out the classroom doorway, watching him pass by. This was part of his daily schedule and he learned to tune it all out. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and casually tucked his book under his arm only to have the book fall from his arm when a female student "accidentally" knocked into him.

"Ah! Sesshomaru, I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." She squeaked and glanced up at him through her thick lashes. A blush crept over her cheeks. Sesshomaru stared at her carefully. He recognized this girl. If his memory served him right, her voice was not usually as high-pitched or annoying. Sesshomaru sighed and looked past her to the end of the hallway. He was not a fool, he knew what she was trying to do and he had no time to deal with her games. Sesshomaru bent down and grabbed his book. He dusted it off and began to walk past her when she stopped him.

"Ah! Um…Sesshomaru, what foods do you like to eat?" She asked. Sesshomaru did not look at her and stared down the hallway again. The girl glanced at her group of friends who were anxiously watching them. Why was this girl asking him such a question? Why did it even matter? Sesshomaru said nothing and started to walk past her again but he felt her grab his sleeve. Her friends let out a small gasp at her bold action. Sesshomaru looked down at her hand and then glanced at her. She hesitantly released him. He was beginning to feel annoyed and it showed on his face. Fortunately for Sesshomaru, fate was smiling at him and a teacher called out his name. Sesshomaru looked at who called for him and the girl took that chance to run away.

"He never talks!" One of her friends said.

"That was kind of scary. He looked angry."

"He is so mysterious!"

"He is so handsome!" One giggled and they soon all joined in. Sesshomaru breathed a sigh of irritation. It was same thing every day. Normally, people would feel flattered when they were considered good-looking but he had no care for that. Sesshomaru did absolutely nothing to have any of these girls like him. He was seriously growing concerned about the level of brainpower the female students possessed. Sesshomaru looked at the teacher who was waving him over.

"Taisho Sesshomaru, come here!" The teacher said. Sesshomaru made his way over and greeted him with a small bow. The teacher gave him an approving nod and patted him on the shoulder. "I saw your grades last term. You're studying hard." The teacher said.

"Thank you." Sesshomaru said, even though Sesshomaru never studied. The teacher gave another approving nod and then snapped back to reality.

"Ah! Right!" He cleared his throat. "I don't know if you heard but we had a transfer student today." The teacher said. Sesshomaru shook his head.

"I did not hear." He said and the teacher cleared his throat again. Sesshomaru's presence was quite over-whelming, even for him.

"Well! Well…uh she is my student this term and I happened to notice that she doesn't live too far from you. She lives in the apartment complex by your house." He said. Sesshomaru wasn't sure where the teacher was going with all this. "She and her uncle came from the country side so she may not know how to get around just yet. Why don't you show her the way home?" He suggested.

Sesshomaru wanted to decline. It took about thirty minutes for him to return home and the last thing he wanted was to spend that long of a time with another senseless female student, especially one who was probably a country bumpkin. However, Sesshomaru was impressed that a teacher was so concerned for a student's safety. It was just a small favor anyway…what harm could come from a small favor? He brought his attention back to the teacher who still waited for his response.

"What is her name?" Sesshomaru asked. The teacher looked thankful.

"Noto Rin. Class 1-3." He put a hand on Sesshomaru's shoulder again to show his thanks. "Oh…there is something you should know about her though…" He began but he was interrupted when another teacher called for him. The teacher seemed to have forgotten what he was going to say and quickly left before thanking him again and waving goodbye. Sesshomaru disregarded what he was going to say as he imagined it wasn't important. Sesshomaru ran a quick hand through his hair and went towards the stairs to classroom 1-3.

It was rare to find him walking through the first year hallway and it wasn't long before students were gathering around him. Girls were squealing, guys were murmuring, and teachers were stopping to talk to him. He needed to find this country girl soon or else he would never leave school. Sesshomaru walked to class 1-3 and approached two girls who stood at their desks.

"Excuse me, where can I find Noto Rin?" He asked them. Both girls dropped what they had in their hands and stared at him with dropped jaws. When Sesshomaru realized they were never going to answer him, he turned away. Sesshomaru recognized a male student. It was Kohaku. He vaguely remembered him as the younger brother of Inuyasha's friend's girlfriend…at least he thought that was the case. It seemed that his assumption was correct when Kohaku noticed Sesshomaru's presence and approached him.

"Sesshomaru-senpai? What are you doing here?" He asked him.

"Noto Rin. Where can I find her?" He asked. Kohaku looked surprised and then looked towards the door.

"She just left a couple minutes ago." He said. Before Kohaku could say any more, Sesshomaru thanked him once and left the classroom. Sesshomaru suspected she was still around if she had only just left. He noticed three female students conversing by the far wall and decided he would take a chance.

"Noto Rin?" He asked. The two girls on the sides turned at the sound of her name and they gasped loudly. The female in between them had looked surprised by their reactions and quickly spun around to face him. One look at this girl and any person could tell she was from the country side.

"Which one of you is Noto Rin?" He asked. He already suspected the girl in the middle was Rin but he asked again. "Are you Noto Rin?" She nodded in response. "Your teacher asked me to show you the way home." He said. A look of confusion appeared on her face. "It seems you and I are neighbors." The gasps around them caused Rin to lower her head and glance around. Sesshomaru took that moment to study her.

She was not what he had expected. He was imagining a more robust girl but she was actually rather mousy. Her skin was slightly tanned and sun freckles sprinkled across her cheeks. Sun highlights streaked through her long, umber-brown hair. Her knees had some scuff marks suggesting that she spent much of her time outdoors. Perhaps it was because of her tan, but Sesshomaru had to admit she seemed to glow. He didn't deny that this Noto girl was fairly pretty. She was attractive… but not enough to tempt him anyway.

"I'll be at the front gates." He told her and walked off.

* * *

Rin had to drag her feet to the front gates. Mao and Chiyo rushed for her to put on her shoes that she didn't have a chance to put them on correctly. Rin looked behind her and found a large crowd of students following them. Looking ahead of her, she found another large group of students crowding around Sesshomaru, wondering who he was waiting for. Sesshomaru turned his gaze to hers and Rin swallowed the lump in her throat as she tightly gripped her bag strap over her shoulder. When they got about ten feet from where Sesshomaru stood, Mao and Chiyo whispered good luck and none too gently pushed her towards him. Rin stumbled forward and gave Sesshomaru an awkward grin. Sesshomaru leaned off the gate and glanced down at her feet. She was wearing a pair of brown loafers that looked old and worn down. He glanced at her again. Rin quickly glanced at her feet and then glanced at him before she bent down and fixed her shoes. Rin looked at Mao and Chiyo who were tightly grasping each other's arm. Mao gave her a silent apology for rushing her out and then swatted her hand to silently tell her to get going. Rin stood back up and pulled a strand of hair behind her ear.

Sesshomaru didn't wait any longer and headed off. His strides were so long that once and awhile Rin had to run to catch up with him. Now that she was walking beside him, Rin noticed just how monstrously tall he was. Rin took the chance to steal side glances at him. Even from his side profile, she could see that he was very handsome. Rin was curious to see how he looked with longer hair. Although he was forced to cut his hair, it seemed as though the school compromised with him. His hair was cut short but it was still considered long for the strict school guidelines. At the longest part, the back of his hair brushed his shoulders. His bangs covered his eyes but not enough to hide their beautiful color. His eyebrows seemed to be stuck in a constant frown and she wondered if that was because he was trying to focus through his bangs. His skin looked as smooth as marble and his body looked like he had been sculpted to be a statue; intended to be displayed at a museum where people could admire his incredible physic and beauty. Rin blushed and bit her fingernail. She was staring too much. Rin fully understood why he was so popular.

On a different note, she was surprised that he hadn't spoken to her once since they left. Once people found out she was a mute, they would usually try to fill the silence with endless chatter. Sesshomaru had not said one word to her. Mao and Chiyo weren't kidding when they said he didn't like to talk.

Sesshomaru came to two conclusions: she was incredibly shy or she was just a strange one. Since they had left, she had not said one word to him. In a way, he appreciated that she was comfortable with silence but usually, girls would engage in endless chatter. He hated to admit it, but he felt a bit uncomfortable. Sesshomaru felt his brows furrow. It didn't matter because once he took her home he wouldn't have to deal with her any longer.

Rin had been so caught up with her thoughts that she hadn't noticed when they reached the train station. He had already gone through the turnstile and was walking off towards the subway platform. Rin panicked and hastily looked through her bag for her wallet. She wasn't worried about being unable to get home. She knew how to get home but she didn't want to be rude to him and refuse his kindness. 'Oh no! I'm going to lose him!' She thought, frantically. After a brief struggle, she was able to find her subway pass and rushed through. She ran down the stairs to catch him and panicked again when he was getting onto the subway car. The train was going to leave!

He climbed onto the subway car and turned around, only to notice that the country girl was not beside him. He glanced around and didn't find her anywhere. He assumed she had left him. It wasn't really any of his concern. Sesshomaru went to lean against a pole when he finally caught sight of her running towards the car. The doors were about to close on her. He silently cursed and excused himself as he quickly pushed his way off. Sesshomaru couldn't understand why he was getting out for her. What the hell was he doing?

The doors clipped his shoulder but Sesshomaru successfully got off the subway car. Rin ran up to him just as the train took off. She gave him a mortified look and put her hands together, silently apologizing. Sesshomaru ran a hand through his mussed bangs.

"Why didn't you tell me to wait for you?" He said. His voice sounded annoyed. Rin bowed again and again. 'Agghh~ sorry! Sorry!' She thought to herself. Sesshomaru released a sharp exhale and walked to sit on the nearest bench.

"It's fine. We'll wait for the next one." He said and sat down. Rin wasn't sure if he wanted her to follow him. Sesshomaru rested his chin on his fist, opened his book and began to read. Rin waited a few moments and he said nothing. She slowly approached the bench and sat beside him. She sat down so cautiously it was as if the bench was made of nails and spikes. She rested her bag on her lap and exhaled.

Now that she had time to think it was quite surreal that she was sitting beside the prince of her school. What a crazy first day of high school! This was not at all what she expected. Honestly, Rin found it a bit amusing and she let a smile spread across her face. She wondered how Mao and Chiyo would react when she told them they hadn't spoken to each other at all. Not to mention she made him a bit angry for missing the train. Rin's smile grew a little larger. She was sure her phone was filled with messages from them as well.

He knew she was a strange one. Sesshomaru watched her from the corner of his eye as she stood and waited for him to say something. When he remained silent, she slowly inched towards the bench and sat down, watching him carefully the entire time. He watched as she grew lost in her own thoughts and a goofy smile appeared on her face. Rin suddenly turned towards him and caught his gaze. When she realized he had been watching her a deep blush covered her cheeks and she widened her eyes before whipping her head back around. Sesshomaru was actually surprised. He never knew someone's face could change color so considerably.

'Oh my god! He caught me staring!' She thought. 'That is so embarrassing.' She almost wanted to smack a hand to her face. She decided against it because then he would really think she was strange. He finally said something to her but it wasn't what she expected. She wondered if he wasn't speaking to her on purpose because she was a mute. It wouldn't be the first time someone gave up on trying to communicate with her. Rin sighed. That was too bad; she was kind of looking forward to getting to know him a bit. She should have realized sooner that he was indeed unapproachable.

The next train soon arrived and this time Sesshomaru made sure she was following him. Since it was crowded, they both stood by the doors across from each other. Sesshomaru stared out the window and Rin simply kept her focus on his shoes. Rin knew the train ride would take some time and wondered how she would pass the time. She didn't want to be rude and look through her phone so she left it in her bag. It was clear to her that he didn't want to chat so she decided to talk to him…in her mind. She glanced at him.

'Hey you.' She thought. He kept his attention on the scenery outside. 'Do you talk to anybody? Do you get lonely…? because you don't seem to have many friends.' Rin bit the inside of her cheek. 'How did you get so tall? Did your mother force you to take vitamins when you were young?' Rin laughed silently to herself at the thought of a young Sesshomaru. When she glanced at him again, she found him staring at her and she tried to hide her laugh with a violent cough. When she glanced at him, he was staring out the window so she starting talking to him again. 'You probably think I am super strange.' She thought. 'Well, whatever…it doesn't matter anyway.'

Sesshomaru leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Rin sucked in a breath when the setting sun surrounded him and he drowned in an orange glow. 'You really are incredibly handsome. It kind of makes me feel envious of the girl you fall in love with.' Rin found herself thinking. 'This would be embarrassing if you could hear what I was thinking.' She grinned but it immediately disappeared when Sesshomaru opened his eyes and met her gaze. Her heart jumped into her throat and she started to violently cough again.

'…definitely a weird one...' Sesshomaru thought to himself and continued to stare out the window.

* * *

Rin was relieved when her small apartment complex came into view. She couldn't handle the awkwardness anymore. When they reached the entrance, Sesshomaru stopped and turned to face her. Rin knew he was silently asking her if they reached her home. Rin dug through her bag and pulled out a small piece of wrapped chocolate. She wasn't sure how to thank him so this was the only thing she could think of. She stuck out her hand with the chocolate and Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, taking the candy from her. Not waiting another moment, she gave him a deep bow, spun around on the ball of her foot, and raced up the stairs. When she finally reached her door, she looked over the railing to see if he was still there. He was already gone. Rin strained her neck to see him walking down the street. Rin sighed and let a small grin pull at her lips. 'Thanks…' She thought and went inside.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It had already been over a week since Sesshomaru walked Rin home and yet whispers and rumors were still spreading around the school.

"I heard they're neighbors!" They would say. "No, I heard they're secretly living together." Others said. "I heard they are in a secret relationship and she came from the country side to be with him!"

Rin just wanted to have a normal high school life but just two weeks in and she was already in a mess of drama. Rin heard that floods of girls were approaching Sesshomaru with love confessions after hearing he walked her home. Apparently, they thought that if Rin had a chance, they had an even better one. She shook her head. This was just getting absolutely ridiculous.

Rin stomped her foot, gaining even more stares and whispers. That was enough! How could they possibly think they were secret lovers when they weren't even literally neighbors? He just happened to live a few houses down from her apartment complex. She wouldn't say they were neighbors. She hardly ever saw him! In fact, she only saw him once after that day. Rin scratched the back of her arm and blushed. It was an unexpected meeting.

Rin had gone to the local bookstore after school one day. When she went to the desk to buy her book, the cashier was distracted and didn't notice her. At first, Rin waited patiently for him to turn around. When he still didn't notice her, Rin tried knocking on the counter but he didn't seem to hear her over the music playing in the shop. She knocked a little harder and even coughed but there was no reaction.

"Excuse me?" Someone suddenly appeared beside her and Rin jumped in shock. She glanced up, and to her horror, she found the third-year prince standing before her. He never looked at her and instead, put his own book on the counter. Rin looked at the title and scrunched her nose. He sure enjoyed reading really boring texts.

The cashier turned around, finally noticing their presence and apologized to them both for making them wait. Rin smiled and glanced at Sesshomaru. She didn't realize that Sesshomaru could be so kind. He called the cashier's attention for her.

Rin began to hand the book to the cashier but Sesshomaru beat her to it. He handed his own purchase and the cashier took it first. Rin snapped her attention to Sesshomaru and her humor faded instantly. He had the audacity to skip her even though she waited there first! Maybe he didn't recognize her! Rin's mouth settled into a grim line. Even if he didn't recognize her, it was wrong to skip someone. She bit the inside of her cheek. What was she thinking? Of course a prince wouldn't let a commoner go before him.

The cashier finished the sale and handed Sesshomaru his new book. As Sesshomaru turned to leave, he looked Rin in the eye and then walked out without muttering a word.

"Are you done for today, Rin?" Chiyo walked into the classroom and snapped Rin back to reality. Chiyo set down the garbage can and dusted off her hands. Rin quickly nodded in response and began to gather her bags. "Mao is already changing for practice so we can head over to the courts now." Chiyo pointed in the general direction of the tennis courts and Rin clapped her hands. They were going to watch Mao practice today.

Sesshomaru was walking up the hill when he noticed Rin walk into the book store and he cursed silently to himself. He was beginning to believe that she was indeed following him everywhere. He made sure to go around her so she wouldn't see him. The last thing he wanted was for her to notice he was there. He watched her pull out a book and walk to the checkout counter only to stand there silently. At first, she tried to politely wait for the man but he didn't notice her. 'Say something, you stupid girl…now isn't the time to be shy…' Sesshomaru thought to himself. He was starting to feel annoyed. Before he realized what he was doing, Sesshomaru grabbed his book and walked to the counter. He just couldn't stand watching her any longer.

* * *

"Sesshomaruuuu." Someone called his name in a sing song voice. Sesshomaru was walking down the hallway when he paused mid-stride. He momentarily shut his eyes and prepared for the worst. The owner of the voice ran up from behind and stopped in front of him. It was another female student to approach him that day. She held her hands behind her back and she glanced up at him, flirtatiously. Her excessive amount of perfume gave him a migraine. "Sesshomaru, will you help me study this weekend? My grades are falling and since you are the smartest student in the school, I thought I could ask you to help me?" She asked and then stepped towards him. "My parents won't be home so you don't have to worry about distractions." Her voice fell to a whisper. Sesshomaru felt disgusted. What was this girl trying to suggest? Sesshomaru was about to push past her when someone threw an arm over his shoulder.

"Naraku." Sesshomaru said and picked his friend's arm off his shoulders. Naraku gave him a side smile and then leaned towards the female student.

"Sorry sweetheart, but he has a date with me this weekend." He winked at her and gave her a charming smile. The student responded with a disappointed scowl but then glanced at Sesshomaru again.

"In case you change your mind, let's exchange phone numbers." She said and pulled out her phone. Sesshomaru ignored her and continued down the hallway. Naraku let out a short laugh and watched the female student scoff as if insulted. She stormed off and Naraku caught up to his friend.

"Another broken heart….you probably lost another member of your fan club." He joked, throwing his arm over Sesshomaru's shoulder again. "What number does that make it this week? …20?...30?" Naraku teased.

"Not nearly enough." Sesshomaru said, annoyed. Naraku was the only person Sesshomaru allowed to talk to him. It started during their first year when Naraku approached him and wouldn't stop babbling to him. Despite the many times Sesshomaru ignored him, Naraku never gave up and eventually Sesshomaru just gave in. As time went on, Naraku was the only person he could tolerate for long periods of time.

"That's too bad for you. They'll rejoin the club within a couple days. They never stay away for long." His friend said and then quickly stepped in front of Sesshomaru, putting a hand out to stop him.

"Let's watch the tennis team practice." He winked. Sesshomaru glared at him.

"Why would I do that?" He asked and walked around him.

"Oh c'mooon~" Naraku whined. "I look desperate if I go watch all by myself!" He said and then stopped Sesshomaru again. "That sexy chick Kagura is in the tennis club. I want to go watch her in action." He smiled. If Sesshomaru didn't know Naraku any better, he would think Naraku was extremely creepy. Sesshomaru went to walk around him again when Naraku spoke. "I overheard that your girlfriend is there too." Naraku gave him a sly smirk. Sesshomaru stared at him.

"I don't know what you are talking about." He said and continued walking. Sesshomaru surprised himself when Rin popped into his mind even though Naraku hadn't specified a name.

Recently, he had seen quite a lot of her around school and when he was traveling to and from school. She never saw him but he always seemed to catch a glimpse of her. He expected to never see or deal with her again but he was seeing her everywhere. She was even the cause of his recent problems. She was like a parasite he couldn't get rid of. Sesshomaru felt impatience fill him.

"It's finally the weekend and you have nothing better to do." Naraku stuffed his hands in the pockets of his slacks. "Quit being a bore and help a friend out." He said. Sesshomaru wanted to argue that accompanying him while he gawked at women was not 'helping a friend out' but he remained quiet. When Naraku realized that Sesshomaru wasn't arguing with him, he smiled and slapped his arm. "Alright!" He said.

* * *

"This wasn't what I meant when I said we would watch the tennis club practice…" Naraku said but Sesshomaru ignored him. They stood on the other side of the fence of the tennis courts, quite a distance from where the club was practicing. Sesshomaru simply chose to read but grew irritated when he couldn't seem to concentrate. He found himself glancing over to the sidelines where Rin sat with her friend. Sesshomaru looked away. What was it with that girl? Why was she everywhere he went?

"I should have joined the tennis club…" Naraku shook his head with regret and then gave Sesshomaru a side glance. It didn't go unnoticed that Sesshomaru was staring at someone and was obviously feeling quite bothered by it. Naraku smirked and kicked the dirt with his foot. "So uh…tell me about this rumor going around about you and the new transfer student." He sniffed.

"It was just a favor for a teacher." Sesshomaru answered, bringing his attention to his book. Naraku urged him to continue.

"What kind of favor?" He asked. Sesshomaru continued to read.

"I showed her the way home." He said, simply. Naraku raised his eyebrows in seeming bewilderment.

"Ah…I see." He answered and then looked into the crowd. "Is she here like I heard she would be?" He looked at Sesshomaru again. Sesshomaru slightly raised his gaze from the book but did not look in Rin's direction.

"I don't remember her face." He responded. Naraku let out a small snort but left it at that. Sesshomaru turned his back to the practice and leaned against the fence.

What a strange girl she was. To be fair, he didn't exactly try to make conversation with her. Even so, Sesshomaru never found himself in a situation where the other person did not try to at least say _something._ Not only did she not say a word but when they arrived at her place she just ran off after giving him a piece of melted chocolate. Was that supposed to be her way of thanking him…giving him a piece of old candy?

'…definitely a weird one…' He thought again for what must have been the millionth time.

"Heyy! Sensei!" Naraku suddenly yelled and was waving to someone behind Sesshomaru. He turned his head and Rin's teacher was walking towards them. Sesshomaru leaned off the gate and stood upright to greet him.

"Ahh…! Naraku! How nice to see you!" He chuckled, happy to see his old student. The teacher asked Naraku how he was and gave nods of approval upon hearing that he was doing well. The teacher turned his attention to Sesshomaru and thanked him again for showing Rin the way home. Sesshomaru just gave the teacher a curt nod.

"She seems to be fitting in just fine." The teacher said, straightening his glasses.

"Oh, is that her name? Rin…" Naraku said, considering the name.

"Her uncle asked the school to help her in any way possible. I thought maybe having a fellow student show her the way home would help her get more comfortable with the city." He said and then put a hand on Sesshomaru's shoulder. "Was it difficult for you, Sesshomaru?" He asked him but he spoke again before Sesshomaru could respond. The teacher raised his eyebrows as if saying the answer was obvious and shrugged. "Ah well…I suppose it would be difficult to communicate with someone who is a mute…" He said. Sesshomaru abruptly snapped his attention to him.

"What?" Naraku was taken aback by Sesshomaru's sudden outburst. Sesshomaru couldn't believe his naiveté. The girl didn't speak because she _couldn't_ speak? How could he not have realized she was a mute? The teacher nodded as if he hadn't noticed Sesshomaru's sudden change in disposition.

"I was worried that she would be ostracized but she is getting along just fine!" He smiled with satisfaction. He glanced down at his watch and then let out a short exclamation. He was late for a meeting and had to rush off. He said goodbye to the both of them and headed off. Naraku waved goodbye and then turned his attention to Sesshomaru with a cheeky grin.

"Did you know she couldn't speak?" Naraku scratched his chin and chuckled, enjoying Sesshomaru's obvious frustration. Sesshomaru cursed under his breath and stared at Rin through the fence. 'That girl...' He thought, furiously. How could she not tell him? He slammed his book shut, placing it under his arm.

"I'm leaving." He said and walked away before Naraku could protest.

"I'll call you later." Naraku yelled after him and just chuckled, shaking his head.

* * *

Rin shielded her eyes from the blazing hot sun and fanned herself. She was dying in the heat but she enjoyed watching Mao practice nonetheless. Chiyo wasn't kidding when she said Mao was really good at the sport. She was destroying her other team member.

"Hey…" Chiyo suddenly nudged Rin in the gut and pointed somewhere in the distance. "…isn't that teacher and Sesshomaru talking?" She said. Rin strained her neck and just as Chiyo said, there they stood behind the fence. "I wonder what they are doing there." Chiyo said exactly what Rin was thinking. There was another male student who Rin did not recognize. She was surprised that Sesshomaru actually had friends. From where she sat, she could see that he was also very handsome. Despite his good looks, her eyes were still drawn to Sesshomaru. The teacher was saying something to him and to her surprise, Sesshomaru suddenly exploded. She could tell by the way his friend jumped at his response. She blinked, straining to hear them even though she knew it was impossible. The teacher glanced at his watch and quickly left them. Sesshomaru and his friend passed a few words before Sesshomaru began to walk away, seemingly in a bitter mood. Rin watched him with anxiousness. He looked even more intimidating when he was upset. 'Thank goodness I have nothing to do with it.' She thought in relief. Her sigh of relief was instantly sucked back in and she held her breath. As if he heard her from that distance, Sesshomaru turned his head and Rin could have sworn he was looking at her.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Rin? What are you doing here so late?" Rin was sitting in the school library when she looked up with surprise and found Kohaku walking towards her. He took the chair beside her and studied what she was working on. Rin pulled her notebook out from under her textbook. The page was filled with scribbles.

"_The academic schedule is more advanced than my old school. I have to study to catch up with everyone else._" Rin wrote. Kohaku leaned towards her to get a better look at her notes. His action surprised her and she recoiled slightly. He flipped a page in her textbook.

"You're struggling with mathematics?" He asked her. Rin pulled a strand of hair behind her ear and nodded.

"_Just a little bit. Mathematics was always tough for me." _She smiled and gave him a slight shrug. Kohaku returned her smile with a grin of his own and rested his forehead on a fist.

"I'm president of the mathematics club." He said, pointing to himself. "I'll help you study." He offered. Rin raised her eyebrows. Before she could argue, Kohaku tapped her notes with his finger. "You got the right idea. You're just having a tough time with this problem because you mixed up the formula." He said and plucked her pencil from her fingers. Rin immediately paid close attention as he wrote out the correct formula. She snapped her fingers upon realizing her mistake and nodded. Kohaku proceeded to circle certain questions in the textbook. "If you work on these problems you should have no problem in class." He said and handed back her pencil. Rin concentrated on his notes and quickly went to work on the problems.

For the duration of the session, Rin completed all the problems while Kohaku instructed her. In no time at all, Rin finished and understood everything. She set her pencil down and handed Kohaku her notes. He nodded his head in approval as he looked it over.

"Yeah, that's all it is. You got it!" He smiled and he flicked the paper with his other hand. Rin sighed in relief. She was stuck on one problem for so long and Kohaku explained it clearly for her. Rin slightly bowed her head to thank him for helping her. "It's no problem." He said. "I like math." Rin almost grimaced at that comment but from Kohaku's expression she could clearly see that he was completely serious.

"_How come you are still at school so late?" _She asked him, glancing at the time. She felt a yawn coming on but she held back.

"Teacher stopped me after class to help him organize the class files." Kohaku glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "I accidentally saw your math homework." He looked a bit ashamed and Rin blushed in embarrassment. He must have seen how terrible she was at math. "I also noticed you did not leave with Chiyo or Mao, so…" He trailed off. Rin tilted her head and did not understand that he purposely looked for her in the school library. Kohaku just awkwardly hesitated and shook his head. "It's nothing." He cleared his throat and stood up, pushing his chair back. Rin remained seated as he prepared to leave. She bowed to him again to thank him one last time and to say goodbye. "If you like…" He began. "…I can help you with school work whenever you need help." He offered. Rin raised her eyebrows at his kindness.

"_You are so helpful to everyone. You really are a prince." _She quickly jotted down in her notebook. Kohaku just gave her a short chuckle.

"I am no prince." He said, scratching the back of his neck.

"_Thank you for your help. I would really appreciate it if you could help me." _She wrote. Kohaku plucked her phone right out of her hands. He fooled around with it a bit and quickly handed it back to her. A second later, his phone received a message. He pulled it out and showed it to her.

"There. Now you have my number and I have yours." He said. Rin looked at her phone and saw his name and number listed in her contacts. "Message me when you need help and I'll come to you." Kohaku gave her another one of his boyish grins and she blushed. "See you tomorrow." He casually waved goodbye and Rin watched him leave the library and slide the library door shut behind him. Rin did not wait any longer and also packed her things to go. On her way home, Rin was trying her best to ignore her fluttering heart every time she thought about Kohaku.

* * *

Sesshomaru stood at the train platform, waiting to go to school. Sesshomaru took his book that was tucked under his arm and flipped it open.

"Somehow she has changed lately…" Sesshomaru overheard a conversation between two male underclassmen.

"Yeah I thought the same thing."

"I heard she can't speak though."

"That's okay. Girls who talk too much are annoying."

"She is kind of cute…that first year Noto Rin."

Sesshomaru felt annoyed. He was trying to read but he was being bothered by their childish conversation. Noto Rin wasn't that pretty! Were they blind?

"Oh, isn't that Noto Rin coming this way now?" Sesshomaru heard one of them ask. He felt himself flinch slightly but he did not peel his eyes away from his book.

"Good morning!" He heard one say to her. Sesshomaru just wanted the train to arrive now.

"Oh wait! Be careful, you're going to bump into-"

Rin was bowing as she walked past her classmates that she hadn't realized she was going to walk right into Sesshomaru. Her face connected with his chest and she gripped her head with pain. Rin looked up, apologetically and when she realized just who she knocked into, her face paled. Sesshomaru looked at her as if he wanted to rip her head off and she coiled away. 'Why can't our meetings be normal for once?!' She thought frantically and bowed to him continuously. 'Oh noo, he looks angry.' She suddenly felt ill.

Sesshomaru looked at Rin as if she were a plague carrier. He was sure this girl was born to wreak havoc on his life. She bowed over and over until he was sure she would snap in two. He sighed and snapped his book shut. He tucked his book under his arm, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and narrowed his eyes at her.

"I'm starting to think you are purposefully following me around." He said. Rin's mouth fell into a grim line. Was this guy trying to pick a fight with her? Rin's thoughts were filled with ways she could kick him and get away with it but her eyes caught something on his shirt. She gasped and immediately grew fearful of how he would react. Sesshomaru looked down at his shirt and found she left an imprint of her lips. Rin bit her fingernail and looked ashamed. She had put on lip-gloss that morning. Her kiss mark on his shirt made him look like a frivolous playboy. Sesshomaru let out a long and slow exhale.

"Noto Rin…"

* * *

Chiyo was putting her shoes away at the shoe lockers when, from the corner of her eye, she saw Rin running towards the doors as if the devil was at her heels. Chiyo smiled and waved at her.

"Hi Rin! Why are you in such a hurry? We aren't late for class." She said. Rin ran up and practically ripped off her shoes and threw them into her locker. Chiyo looked over Rin's shoulder and saw Sesshomaru kiting a string of females behind him. He did not appear to be in a good mood. "Hey…what is that on his shirt?" Chiyo squinted her eyes but Rin abruptly grabbed her by the hand and they ran to the classroom. Rin let out a loud sigh of relief and stumbled to her desk. She was safe in the classroom for now.

When the train arrived, there were so many people onboard that thankfully Sesshomaru couldn't get to her. Once the train arrived at their stop, Rin had bolted out the door and ran to school without looking back. She could feel his glares as if they were daggers on her back.

Rin thankfully had a fan in her bag and began to fan herself. She was sweating from the exercise. Chiyo sat down beside her.

"What did you do to him?" Chiyo asked but Rin quickly shook her head. She didn't want to talk about it. At that moment, Mao bolted through the door and ran to them.

"Hey! There is a kiss mark on Sesshomaru's shirt!" She exclaimed and Chiyo gave Rin a cheeky smile.

"What did you do this time, Rin?" Chiyo urged and Rin had no choice but to explain the story to them. Mao and Chiyo exploded with laughter.

"Why did you wear lip-gloss?" Mao asked her. "You don't usually wear anything." Rin blinked her eyes and felt a bit hesitant. Kohaku walked into the classroom and Rin suddenly became very aware of his presence. For a girl, it was instinct to want to look a little prettier for a boy. She couldn't say she _liked_ Kohaku yet…but she definitely felt a little fuzzy when she thought about him.

"_If a boy acts too kind…it starts to give a girl the wrong idea, right?"_ Rin wrote. Mao and Chiyo both glanced in Kohaku's direction. Mao grinned but Chiyo looked a little concerned.

"When did you start liking Kohaku?" Chiyo lowered her head and whispered. Rin shook her head.

"_I don't know if I actually like him but I certainly feel more aware of him. It started ever since he helped me study at the library." _

"You were alone with him in the library?" Mao said a bit too loudly and Rin tried to cover her mouth before Kohaku heard them. Kohaku turned his head upon hearing the commotion and smiled at Rin. The three of them smiled hesitantly and waved.

"_He said he would help me study whenever I needed help." _Rin quickly wrote when he looked away.

"When are you going to study with him next?" Mao asked her. Rin shrugged and told them she hadn't texted him once. Mao slapped a nicely manicured hand to her forehead. "This might be your chance at a high school love! You have to message him soon!" She shook Rin by the shoulders.

"On a different note…what are you going to do about Sesshomaru?" Chiyo asked her. Rin was snapped back to reality and she dropped her head onto the desk with a groan. It seemed that all she was doing was ruining his life and spread even more rumors about the two of them…thus also ruining her own life. The next time she saw him…she knew she had to apologize and just prayed he didn't kill her in the process.

* * *

Upon entering the classroom, Naraku burst into laughter when he looked at Sesshomaru. He could practically see the flames of wrath surrounding him.

"You seem to be a magnet for bad luck." Naraku sat on Sesshomaru's desk and tapped Rin's kiss mark on his shirt. "So there is another rumor that you like to fool around." He chuckled. Sesshomaru said nothing but passed his friend a warning glare. This only caused Naraku to chuckle some more. "Is the transfer student the reason for this too?" He asked, glancing outside the classroom door where numerous girls were calling for him to 'play with them too'. Sesshomaru pinched the bridge of his nose. That girl ruined his quiet and content life.

* * *

Rin rolled onto her back and sat up. She had been staring at her phone for quite a while. Her cat purred as Rin used her big toe to scratch the back of his ear. Rin wasn't sure what to say to Kohaku. Mao kept insisting that she had to message him but what does she say when she has nothing to say? Rin shook her head and tossed the phone aside. She would message him later. For now, she was going to make her way to the convenient store.

"Where are you going, Rin?" Her uncle asked as she slipped on her sneakers. Rin silently mouthed to him where she was going and pointed in the general direction. Her uncle nodded his head and told her to be careful. "Oh! And bring back some bread!" He yelled after her as she skipped down the stairs.

Rin strolled down the road, putting a little extra skip in her step. Her ponytail swung side to side as if it were dancing. She was craving some ice cream and potato chips. Just the thought of food made her skip some more.

At the convenience store, Rin bought her chips and the bread for her uncle. She decided to buy three ice creams; one for her uncle and two for her. Rin chuckled guiltily to herself as she received her change from the cashier and made her way out the store. She began to skip down the road again and turned the corner only to halt violently. All humor faded instantly.

Sesshomaru also stopped mid-stride and stared at her. A look of annoyance and exhaustion passed his handsome face. Rin felt her heart in her throat. She almost hadn't recognized him which was strange because his handsome face was one of a kind. Rin was so accustomed to seeing him in his school uniform. It was almost like one couldn't be without the other. To her pleasant surprise, he was dressed in casual clothing. Rin's thoughts were quickly interrupted when she got another look at the expression on his face. His eyes narrowed.

"You…I haven't had a peaceful day since you came…" He said acidly. Rin flinched at the tone of his voice. Rin knew she had to apologize for causing him trouble. If she were in his position, she would feel frustrated too. A part of Rin was also reluctant to apologize to him. To be fair, he wasn't exactly a gentleman to her either.

Rin sighed and patted her shorts for her phone only to realize she left it in her room. She didn't have a way to apologize to him.

Sesshomaru was making his way to the convenient store. He was surprised when the last person he wanted to bump into…bumped into him. He almost didn't recognize her. He usually didn't recognize anyone he could care less about. Unfortunately, he was forced to recognize the face that brought chaos into his life.

She had put her hair in a high pony tail and was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. Sesshomaru hated to admit it but she looked quite nice despite being dressed in simple clothing.

"Trouble seems to follow me after I meet you." He said. He watched as she seemed to look for something in her pockets. What she did next left him speechless.

Rin had no choice but to approach him. To his surprise and to her own, she reached and grabbed his hand. The moment she grabbed his hand, they both felt electricity travel up and down their spines. His hand was almost monstrously large in comparison to her dainty ones. His skin was as smooth and light as cream. 'Are you really a man?' Rin thought to herself.

Sesshomaru was surprised that he was allowing her to touch him. He watched silently as she grabbed his hand, turned up his palm, and began to trace letters onto his skin. Her light touch tickled him and there was something about her touch that affected him.

"_I…am…sorry." _She wrote slowly. Rin glanced at him momentarily and continued on. "_…you… jerk._" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. Rin reached into the plastic bag and slapped an ice cream into his hand. Before he could say anything, she walked away.

As Rin walked away, her heart was pounding. She couldn't believe that she had the courage to insult him. She also began to feel a little guilty that she apologized to him and then insulted him. She rolled her eyes and almost smacked herself. She was back to square one. She shook her head and sighed. She would apologize to him again next time…properly.

Sesshomaru glanced down at his hand. The hot summer night immediately began to melt the ice cream that she none too gently gave him. Slapping the ice cream into his hand caused the plastic wrapping to pop open. Sesshomaru looked onto his hand with disgust when it grew sticky with melted vanilla ice cream. He shut his eyes and sighed heavily. He gritted his teeth.

"That…girl…"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"See? Wasn't that easier than you thought?" Kohaku asked her and Rin nodded. After a couple days, Rin finally messaged Kohaku. She didn't message him because Mao told her to, but because she _really, desperately _needed help with studying. They agreed to meet at the school library after school.

Seeing Kohaku did make Rin's heart flutter. She was sure that any girl he smiled at would feel butterflies in her stomach. Kohaku was a handsome prince. Rin blushed to herself at the thought.

"_Thank you. I really appreciate your help" _She scribbled quickly_. "Do you think you could help me study again soon?"_ She asked him. Kohaku agreed immediately.

"Of course I can! How about we meet here next Monday and Thursday?" He offered. "I'm not very busy those days." Rin bit her lip and was grateful for his help.

"_You are already so busy. I am sorry for making you help me."_ She apologized but Kohaku gave her a reassuring shake of the head.

"You aren't_ making_ me help you…I _want_ to help you." He emphasized and Rin flushed again. She could only give him a small nod. Kohaku helped Rin collect her things so they could return home. As they stood from the table, Kohaku took her bag from her and threw it over his shoulder.

"Let me walk you home." He offered. Rin shook her head and frantically waved her hands. "At least let me walk you to the train station." He insisted and Rin had no choice but allow him to do so. Kohaku really was a gentleman.

It was a bit awkward as they walked to the train station because Kohaku wasn't sure what to say and Rin couldn't say anything. She wanted to converse with him but typing on her phone while walking in the dark was difficult.

"I never asked you if you liked living in the city." Kohaku soon brought up and Rin just smiled, giving him an 'okay' sign with her fingers. Kohaku scratched the back of his neck and laughed. "I'm sorry. I am trying to think of things to talk about." He admitted. "I am not very good with girls."

Rin found that hard to believe. Upon seeing Rin's expression, Kohaku laughed.

"I really don't understand why I am called a prince. I just try to be kind to people." He said. Rin bit the inside of her cheek. 'Well, there is _that_ and the fact that you're handsome.' She thought secretly to herself. Rin's thoughts drifted off and Sesshomaru came to mind.

If there was anyone who deserved to be called 'prince', it was Kohaku. He was handsome, kind, and friendly. Exactly the kind of prince one read about in fairy tales. Sesshomaru was handsome, _very_ handsome, but he was neither kind nor friendly. Rin almost shook her head in disbelief and felt a wave of annoyance flood over her. He complained to her that she caused him trouble but he wasn't exactly a nice cup of tea either. Rin nearly exploded into a rampage but was interrupted when Kohaku asked her another question.

"Do you like cats, Rin?" He asked and Rin nodded, excitedly. She noticed they were approaching the train station. "I have a cat named Kirara." He said. Rin smiled and pointed to herself. 'I have one too!' She said in her mind. Now that they had stopped in front of the train station, Rin was able to type in her phone again.

"_I named my cat 'A-Un'." _Kohaku chuckled at the strange name. His handsome smile caused another blush to appear on her cheeks. Kohaku looked over his shoulder and then back to her.

"You should get back. Be careful getting home and I'll see you again on Monday." He waved goodbye and Rin stood at the entrance and watched him leave. Her heart fluttered as she observed his retreating figure. Maybe she really was beginning to like him.

"It's pointless."

A voice violently kicked Rin out of her sweet thoughts and she spun around, clearly aware of whom the voice belonged to.

Sesshomaru was walking toward the train station when, lo and behold, the root of his troubles was smiling sweetly to his brother's friend's- _whatever he was_. He watched as the two exchanged some senseless words and parted ways. Sesshomaru didn't like the goofy grin on her face. He wanted to wipe it off.

"It's pointless to think he will return your feelings." Sesshomaru said, bluntly. Of course he was lying but there was nothing he enjoyed more than to see her annoyed. It was rather amusing to him when she passed him a glare and turned her nose up. She took out her train pass and went through the turnstile. Despite her efforts to avoid him, they were going in the same direction anyway. While on the train, he purposely sat across from her. It didn't go unnoticed that she tried her best to avoid eye contact with him. Sesshomaru was enjoying the fact that he put her in an uncomfortable mood and persistently shot daggers at her.

Exiting the train station and walking home together was extremely awkward for her. Rin was well aware of his over-whelming presence as he walked behind her. She could feel his eyes boring holes in her back. For the entire walk from the station to her house, he had not said one word to her. When they reached her apartment complex, she made her way to the stairs and paused at the bottom of it. She expected him to say something…_anything…_maybe a 'goodnight' or an insult but he said nothing. She looked at him over her shoulder and he was already walking away. She let out a scoff and stomped up the stairs. Saying nothing was worse than any insult from him!

Rin couldn't understand why she kept thinking he had some shred of decency in his body. She couldn't let his handsome face trick her into thinking he was a decent human being. She sighed. Still…somehow she felt drawn to him. Rin violently shook her head and smacked her cheeks. She couldn't believe herself. She needed to get her mind straight.

She went to the staircase railing and looked for his retreating figure. She watched him walk down the road and stuck her tongue out at him.

* * *

Rin awoke the next morning with the sun shining in her face and birds chirping out her window. It was finally the weekend and she felt fully rested having been able to sleep in late. When she made her way into the kitchen, she found a note on the table beside a plate of breakfast made by her uncle. He was going out for the day and wouldn't be back until tomorrow afternoon. He left her some money and told her to buy some groceries so she had food for herself.

She flipped on the television and finished her breakfast with gusto before she got ready to head out to the market. She decided to walk to the supermarket instead of riding her bicycle. It was a sunny morning and she needed the extra exercise.

She immediately regretted her decision to walk home when she stepped out of the market and the once baby blue sky had grown dark with rain clouds. Rin glared at the sky. She would have shaken her fist at it but her hands were filled with heavy bags of groceries. It seemed that with each step she took, the harder the raindrops fell. Lightening suddenly streaked across the sky and a booming clap of thunder soon followed. Rin was soaked within seconds.

Rin hurried up a hill and in the distance there was a hooded figure crouching on the ground. The faceless person was picking up groceries that had fallen from her bags. Rin rushed over and picked up some onions that were rolling away.

"Thank you!" The person had to shout over the sound of heavy raindrops hitting the concrete. The person pointed off into the distance. "Would you mind helping me carrying the rest of the groceries? My bags have ripped." Rin didn't have a choice and followed the person to his/her house. She couldn't exactly tell the person otherwise and thankfully the person's house was not far from the apartment complex. Rin struggled to carry her own groceries as well as the stranger's. Water droplets fell from her eyelashes into her eyes and blinded her. The rain was really coming down hard. Rin almost felt frightened. Small streams of water ran down the road, soaking Rin's socks and sneakers. Her clothes clung to her like a second skin.

They stumbled to the person's house and the person successfully unlocked the front door. Rin was surprised when the person unveiled her hood. A beautiful, older woman grabbed all the bags from Rin's hands and invited her inside her home. She told Rin to wait and disappeared down the hallway only to come back with fresh towels in her hand.

"Thank you so much for helping me. I am sorry for causing you so much trouble." She smiled. Rin was astonished that despite being much older, the woman was so remarkably beautiful. Her hair was full and shiny, pinned on the top of her head in a neat bun. Her skin was soft and pale with rose bud lips. There was gentleness in her smile and a twinkle in her eye that Rin couldn't help but smile back. Rin politely accepted the towels and tried to dry off quickly. She was making a puddle on the floor.

"It was so nice this morning. I didn't expect it to suddenly pour this hard!" The woman began to look through the plastic bags. "I knew I should have asked one of my sons to help me." She shook her head. "I feel terrible for asking you for help." The woman clicked her tongue and looked at Rin apologetically. "And look at you…you will catch a cold!" She said. "I insist that you stay and allow me to dry your clothes. Wait for the weather to clear up too!"

Rin tried to communicate with the woman and explain to her that there was no need for her to do anything. Her home was only several steps away. Rin didn't really have a chance to explain because the woman was running all over the place leaving Rin at the doorway, drying her hair. She found the woman to be quite amusing. She was running all over the house like a headless chicken. The woman came bounding back with some clothes in her arms and showed Rin the bathroom. Before she could protest, Rin was pushed inside. From the other side of the door, the woman told her to leave her wet clothes on the floor and she would wash and dry them for her.

She scratched her arm, unsure of how she got herself into such a situation. Rin knew she was supposed to feel concerned that she was in a stranger's home no matter how sweet the woman seemed. Regardless of this fact, Rin stripped off her wet clothes and changed into the dry ones.

As she pulled the shirt over her head, Rin got a whiff of cologne. The woman mentioned she had sons. Upon looking in the mirror, there was no doubt in her mind that she was wearing a male's shirt and sweatpants. She had to roll the bottom of the pants at least seven times and the t-shirt looked like she was wearing a bed sheet.

Rin cautiously stepped out of the bathroom and tip toed into the kitchen. The woman seemed to be preparing something and had her back turned but looked over her shoulder when she heard her enter the kitchen. She told Rin to sit at the kitchen table and offered her some hot tea. Rin was grateful for the tea since she was beginning to feel some chills crawling up her spine. The woman chuckled upon seeing Rin in the oversized clothing.

"Oh, I am sorry. I should have given you clothes that are smaller." She said. "I also apologize for suddenly forcing you into my home. I just felt sorry to see you so wet and cold." She put a delicate hand to her cheek. "I rummaged through my son's closet and took the first things I found." Rin laughed. This was certainly a scenario she never thought she would find herself in but Rin felt quite comfortable. The woman tilted her head and got a good look at Rin as she set down a plate of sliced fruits. "Please have some fruit." She offered. "I've never seen you around the neighborhood before. You must be new to the area." She said as she slowly sat beside her. Rin reached out and grabbed an apple slice. "My name is Taisho Inukimi. It's nice to meet you!" Rin gave the woman a pretty smile and a small bow to greet her. She frowned to herself. Something about that sentence sounded…wrong. Rin couldn't quite place her finger on it and that's when something suddenly clicked in her brain.

Rin's eyes widened into the size of saucers and she choked on her apple. She wheezed and coughed while hitting her chest to lodge the apple piece out of her throat. Rin frantically drank some tea but fell into another fit when the tea was much too hot. Mrs. Taisho jumped up frantically.

"What's wrong, dear? Do you need something?" She exclaimed. Rin just shook her head, trying to calm the poor woman down. _Taisho._ How could she be so stupid? Mrs. Taisho had mentioned sons. A beauty like her would obviously birth beautiful offspring. She lived only a few houses from the apartment complex. The clothes she was wearing clearly belonged to a very tall male. How could Rin overlook all the obvious signs that she was in the Taisho household?

Mrs. Taisho handed Rin a cup of cold water which Rin gratefully gulped down. She gasped for air. Rin needed to get out of there fast. She needed to leave before _he_ found her there.

"Are you alright? Why won't you say anything, dear?" Mrs. Taisho asked her.

"…because she can't."

Rin stiffened at the sound of his voice and she shut her eyes. She hoped that she would wake up from her nightmare when she reopened them. Why did she always meet him at such inconvenient times? She bit her bottom lip and slowly turned around to face Sesshomaru. He stood at the bottom of the staircase and was staring right at her. Rin almost threw her arms up and wanted to curse the heavens for her bad luck.

"Oh?" Mrs. Taisho perked.

"Her name is Noto Rin. She is a mute… and my school mate." Sesshomaru made his way into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator. Rin wanted to wipe that mocking smirk right off his face. Mrs. Taisho knocked a fist against her own head.

"Oh, silly me! No wonder you came along so willingly! You couldn't tell me no!" Mrs. Taisho apologized again but Rin shook her head to reassure her. Mrs. Taisho gave her a guilty smile. "Even so, I am happy to meet you Rin." Rin nodded enthusiastically. She liked Mrs. Taisho very much. She couldn't say the same about her son though…

"I am happy to hear that you are friends with my son!" Mrs. Taisho clapped her hands together. Her face was glowing with enjoyment. Rin began to interject but Sesshomaru reached across the table to grab an apple slice. By doing so, he blocked his mother's view of Rin. Rin passed Sesshomaru a glare as he bit into the apple. "Sesshomaru is such a bore…he has no friends." Mrs. Taisho whispered loudly so that everyone could hear. "This is good news! I was worried that Rin would be bored here but now that I know you are friends…" She smiled at them. "…you can keep her company while I finish drying her clothes!" She said, looking at her son. Sesshomaru responded by leaving the kitchen and returning to his room. Mrs. Taisho gave her son a disapproving shake of the head and crossed her arms. "So rude…" She tsked.

Mrs. Taisho put a hand on Rin's back. "I'll have your clothes ready in no time!" She said and Rin was very grateful for that. "…and you must stay for dinner!" Mrs. Taisho added. If there was any time she wished she could yell…it was right now. Rin felt her world crashing down. "I am so excited! Sesshomaru has never brought a girl home before!" Rin could only give his mother a hesitant smile. How could she tell the sweet Mrs. Taisho that her son hated her guts? She tried to stop her trembling knees. He was going to kill her. She was going to die.

Rin stood up and tried to somehow plead with Mrs. Taisho that she needed to return home.

"Oh, of course! You want to go upstairs to Sesshomaru's room." She said and Rin almost fainted on the spot. 'No!' She screamed in her mind. 'This is not how things are supposed to be happening!' Mrs. Taisho handed Rin the plate of fruits. "Share the rest of the fruits with him." She said and pushed Rin in the direction of the staircase.

Rin stumbled to the stairs and slowly climbed up. She looked over her shoulder to Mrs. Taisho, who watched her with twinkling eyes. Rin sighed and continued up. Her feet felt heavier and heavier with each step. She felt like she was walking to her own death. 'How do I get myself into these situations? Someone is trying to punish me for something.' She almost cried to herself. Rin finally reached the top of the stairs and was out of Mrs. Taisho's view. She took that chance to slap her forehead and drag her hand down her face. She sighed heavily.

"His room is the last one all the way to the left!" She heard Mrs. Taisho exclaim from the bottom of the stairs. Rin dropped her shoulders in defeat and dragged herself to his door. She knocked gently with her knuckle. Her heart was racing at a million miles per hour. He did not respond and so she opened the door a crack and peeked inside. Sesshomaru was on the floor, leaning against his bed as he read. He looked at Rin briefly before turning his attention back to the book. Rin figured that was his way of saying she could come in and she stepped inside, closing the door behind her with a soft click. She remained standing by the door and waited. Rin kept her eyes to the ground and the room was silent except for the occasional crisp sound of a page turning. She bit the inside of her cheek. How awkward…

"Not only are you following me…but now you break into my house, steal our food, and…" Sesshomaru turned to her. "…wear my clothes." Rin looked down at the clothes and sighed with exhaustion. Things were just getting better and better…

"You better sit down. My mother will probably check on us." He said, flipping a page in his book. Rin hesitated and licked her lips. Was this a trick? Was he going to strangle her the minute she sat down? Sesshomaru looked up and gave her a warning glare. She pursed her lips and walked over, plopping herself by his knees. She set the plate down, crossed her arms, and looked away with a huff.

For some silent moments, they simply sat beside each other. Rin persistently kept her arms crossed while he continued to read. As the minutes slowly ticked by, Rin eventually settled into a more comfortable position and relaxed. She looked around his room.

His room was small with the basic bed, desk, and closet. His room was very neat and clean. It was exactly how she pictured it would be. Rin glanced at his bookshelf which was impressively filled with many, many books. It was no wonder he was a genius if he read that many books.

She took a deep breath and hugged her knees to her chest. His room smelled like him. She liked it. It smelled like a forest on a cool, misty morning. She inhaled again. It was a masculine smell, very different from her fruity perfume. She breathed deeply again and let out a sigh. Rin quickly sucked in a breath when she realized what she was doing and spun her head around to see if Sesshomaru had seen her. He did. He was staring right at her with a raised quizzical eyebrow.

"Are you a dog?" He said and Rin dropped her jaw. 'You're the one who is a dog!' She yelled in her mind. She tugged at her hair in frustration and looked away. This man infuriated her.

"Ever since I have met you my life has been so loud." He growled. Rin looked at him. Was he trying to pick another fight with her? 'This man is so cold-blooded! It is so vexing! It's vexing!' Rin gritted her teeth and suddenly sneezed. She put a hand to her forehead. 'Oh no…' She thought. She felt a fever coming on. She must have gotten sick from being in the cold rain for too long. Rin sniffled. She just wanted to go back home. She was cold, in a strange place, and with rotten company.

Rin flinched when Sesshomaru suddenly stood up and left the room. He shut the door behind him and left her alone. She was a bit grateful that she had some time to herself but also felt uncomfortable. This didn't last for long when Sesshomaru returned several moments later with a cup of hot tea in his hands.

"Don't give me your germs." He said and handed her the tea. Sesshomaru simply sat back down and turned to the page he was reading. Rin stared at him as if he had grown three more heads and five more limbs. Did he just give her a cup of tea? Rin stared at the tea with skepticism. Surely he had poisoned it.

"I didn't poison it." Sesshomaru said. Rin didn't believe him and gave him a suspicious glare. Sesshomaru looked at her with slight irritation. 'I didn't think you could be so nice.' She thought, eyeing him carefully. "Give it back to me then." He said, stretching out his hand. Rin coiled away from him, bringing the tea to her lips. 'Thank you.' She thought. Sesshomaru sighed and brought his attention to his book. She was annoying him.

Sesshomaru watched as the country girl took small sips of the hot tea, careful not to burn her tongue. How did he get himself in such a situation?

Earlier, he heard his mother stumble into the house from the storm. She was running around the house like a mad woman when she barged into his room and stole his clothes without asking. 'What is this crazy woman doing?' It wasn't until he heard his mother speaking to someone that he walked down the stairs and there she was. The country girl was sitting in his kitchen.

Rin glanced at Sesshomaru from the corner of her eye. He still sat there reading his book as if she wasn't even there. She was quite surprised when he gave her the tea. She didn't expect there could be a kind bone in his body. Maybe it was the overwhelming smell of his cologne that fogged her senses, but she liked the feeling of sitting beside him. There was something surprisingly calming and somewhat…romantic about it. He quietly read his book and she sipped some tea while they sat together. Although they weren't speaking, it was if they were still talking to each other. Even though they weren't speaking, she didn't feel lonely.

The hot tea was helping her stay warm. She definitely felt a cold coming on and she hoped it didn't get too bad while she was there. The last thing she wanted was to inconvenience them in any way. Unknowingly, Rin inched closer to Sesshomaru, seeking some body warmth.

"You should find a way to grab people's attention so that you don't find yourself in any more troubling situations." Sesshomaru suddenly said. "I don't want to have to buy new clothes every time you come here." He said, glancing at his clothes that she was wearing. Rin scrunched her nose at his snarky comment but was feeling too weak to argue anymore.

Rin finished off the last bit of her tea and set the cup aside. She realized that although he was still being mean, he meant to give her some helpful advice. Rin reached over and gently grabbed his hand. Sesshomaru did not pull away and simply let her draw letters in his palm again.

"_Thank you." _She wrote. "_I will take your advice into careful consideration. Tee hee." _Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her.

"Don't give me a 'tee hee'." He said. Rin gave him a lazy smile. Sesshomaru looked at her carefully. "Your face is red." He said. Rin began to sloppily scribble on his palm again.

"_Don't concern yourself over me. You should worry about yourself. You're swaying." _She wrote. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.

"You're the one who is swaying." He said. Rin's fever was beginning to really get to her. Her head felt heavy and her body grew weak. She was feeling so incredibly sleepy and her body shivered from the chills.

Sesshomaru noticed that she was beginning to sway back and forth. She was barely able to keep her eyes open. She was running a fever. Her cheeks were as red as ripe tomatoes and he could feel the immense heat from her fever radiate off her. He felt a wave of irritation flood over him. Of course she would get sick. The stupid girl was caught in a rain storm and her hair was still wet.

"Hey…" He began but was cut off when he had to suddenly grab her before she knocked her face onto the ground. She passed out in his arms.

Sesshomaru looked at Rin in disbelief. This girl was seriously going to be the death of him. He closed his eyes and counted slowly to ten to calm his nerves. He gritted his teeth and sighed heavily.

"Noto Rin…"


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry everyone! I had reaally reallly bad writers block! Please enjoy!

Chapter 6

Rin slowly opened her eyes and immediately squinted to adjust to the bright light in the room. She felt like she had been run over by, not one, but several trains. Rin swallowed to wet her dry and scratchy throat. She was feeling over-heated and a migraine was pounding at her temples. She felt too weak and discombobulated to move. She was perfectly content to remain in the large and comfortable bed.

As Rin became more aware of her surroundings, she realized she was not at her apartment, in her room, nor sleeping on her own futon. She just stared at the ceiling above her, reminding herself that her ceiling was painted a different color. Rin found the strength to turn her head so that her cheek rested on the pillow. She looked around the room to find unfamiliar furniture. The pillow she lay on was large and soft, and smelled very much like _his _cologne. Looking down at her clothes, she was still wearing Sesshomaru's shirt. Rin turned her head to her right and she found Sesshomaru sitting at his desk with his back to her. As usual, he was reading a book.

Memories from earlier that day came flooding back to her. She must have fallen asleep due to the fever. Rin struggled to sit up and glanced at the clock that hung above his desk on the wall. She had to catch her breath when she read the time. It was already very late in the evening. She could see the moon in his window.

Rin sniffed and straightened up. Looking to her immediate right, there were tissues and medicine sitting on the nightstand. Rin glanced at Sesshomaru again. He leaned back in his chair with his shoulders relaxed. He flipped another page in his book and brought his fingers to his chin. He still hadn't seemed to notice that she woke up. Looking around once more, Rin was amazed to find herself in such a situation. Had he put her in his bed? She imagined he would kick her awake rather than let her peacefully sleep in his bed. Once again, Rin couldn't help but think that maybe he did have a kind heart..._sometimes._

As Rin looked up, Sesshomaru turned and met her eyes. He really had remarkable eyes, sort of dark gold colored. It was like waking up to the setting sun in the midst of summer. She blushed with embarrassment. Who would have ever thought she would be caught sleeping in the prince's bed?

"Finally, you're awake. Your snoring was annoying me." Sesshomaru stood and walked to the night stand. He grabbed the medicine bottle and tossed it to her while also handing her a glass of water. Rin put a hand to her lips in embarrassment. 'I snore?!'

"Hurry and take this." He demanded. He was feeling slightly irritated. "I don't want to catch your germs." He said. "…And now I need to burn my bed."

"Take the medicine and do not move." He demanded. Rin gave him a grudging nod. He watched her as she swallowed the medicine and gulped back the cool liquid. She hadn't realized she was so thirsty.

Sesshomaru sat back down but this time turned the chair around to face her. He rested his elbows on the arm rests and proceeded to read his book. It was no surprise to her that he did not say a word. Rin awkwardly sat on his bed, picking at his blanket while he just flipped through his book. If she was irritated by his silent treatment, she was not going to show it. She was going to remain poised and refuse to reveal a chink in her armor.

As he expected, the silly girl fainted on him and was burning up from a fever. His mother demanded that he let her sleep in her bed until she woke up. He was forced to act as her nurse. He wasn't going to let her get away with this one. If he did, it would be too lenient of him.

Rin made a noise. He looked up at her.

"Is there something you need?" He asked her with a disinterested expression. She just shook her head. "Good." He brought his attention back to his book. She was getting bored and she couldn't sleep anymore. She slept for far too long. Rin began to tap her fingers to a beat in her head. Sesshomaru let the book fall slack in his hand and he passed her an impatient look. Rin immediately stopped tapping and cleared her throat. Watching him carefully, she began to trace letters onto the blanket.

"_Is this your way of showing kindness?" _She wrote. _"...because if it is, you don't do a very good job."_ Sesshomaru almost looked like she just told him a joke.

"Showing kindness to you? I am only doing this because my mother told me to." He said. "What is your phone number?" He asked her suddenly and Rin sent him a shocked expression. Sesshomaru nearly rolled his eyes. "Your home number, you fool. So I can inform your family where you are. You didn't bring your cell phone with you." Rin nodded knowingly and then shook her head.

_"It's alright. I am home alone this weekend. My uncle is out." _She wrote. Sesshomaru just stared at her silently.

"Good…less work for me." He said and began to move away but Rin jumped and abruptly grabbed his hand. Rin stared at him with desperate eyes. He didn't have to ask her what was wrong because at that moment, her stomach growled loudly. She was starving. Rin bit her lip with embarrassment. 'Please feed me.' She thought. Sesshomaru tried to pry his hand away but Rin held on. Sesshomaru gave her a warning glare but Rin only challenged him with a glare of her own. Sesshomaru looked at her like she had a death wish.

"You-" He began but stopped. Rin could tell he was trying his hardest to resist speaking angrily and instead he just sighed. "...fine." He stood and tossed his book onto the bed. He left the room without waiting for her. Rin smiled triumphantly and threw her legs over the side of the bed. She struggled to gain her balance but quickly skipped after him down the stairs.

As they entered the kitchen, Sesshomaru opened the refrigerator and observed what they had. Rin ducked under his outstretched arm and stood beside him. Rin glanced up to look at him over her shoulder.

_"What can you cook?"_ She spelled out on the other door of the refrigerator. Sesshomaru put his hand on the top of her head and spun her around.

"Go away." He growled. Rin obediently stepped aside. She carefully watched as he pulled out ingredients one by one and placed them on the counter. He expertly prepared her meal and Rin was impressed by culinary skill. As much as she was embarrassed by it, his cooking was not the only thing she enjoyed watching.

She was entranced by his incredible physique. She could see the outline of his muscles under the thin material of his white shirt. His back muscles rippled every time he flipped the food in the frying pan.

Rin flinched when oil splashed onto her arm. She vigorously rubbed the spot to rid the pin prick-like pain. Sesshomaru glanced at her over his shoulder and blocked her with his arm.

"I thought I told you to go away. Go sit down." He demanded and this time, Rin obediently listened to him. She sat at the kitchen table and waited. Within minutes, her food was placed before her and she applauded him.

"_Wow!"_ She mouthed and pulled a plate closer to her so she could inhale the delicious aroma. "_Cream croquette and omelet rice? You're amazing!__" _She spelled onto the table. As Rin took a large bite of the cream croquette, Sesshomaru sat across from her and rolled his neck to relieve his tense shoulders. Rin gave him a thumbs up. _"You really can do just about anything. It is no wonder y__ou attract everyone's attention." _She spelled out.

"It is unwanted attention." He said. Rin burnt her tongue when she wasn't careful as she began to spell out words on the table again.

"_I am really envious of you." _She said. _"It's hard to be a social but__terfly when you can't speak." _

"Don't be envious. It is a waste." Sesshomaru said. He swiped dust from his bangs.

"_You are like those people who eat lobster everyday but are envious__ of those who can eat just white rice."_

"…so plain." Sesshomaru muttered, resting his chin in his hands. Rin gave him a questioning look. "You." He continued. "You are happiest when you watch your favorite TV show and saddest when you fight with your friends." He said. "Your life is filled with those trivial matters, aren't they?" Rin's face grew red with embarrassment at just how accurate he was.

"_So what?!" _She asked.

"I'd rather have your mediocre life than mine." He said and Rin could not respond. She wasn't sure if he was complimenting her or insulting her.

"_Do__es it pressure you that people have such high expectations of you?" _She asked him. Sesshomaru gave her a quick glance but he did not answer her.

"So we are envious of each other's life." He said. Rin gave him a smirk.

"_At least I don't expect much of you__. I don't think you are a prince at all." _She mocked, consciously changing the subject. Sesshomaru gave her a challenging look.

"Then who is your prince?" Rin blushed at his question. She was grateful that she had the inability to speak so she did not have to answer him.

"_Not you"_She answered quickly_.__"__Don't worry. You won't find me chasing after you like your other fans." _Sesshomaru seemed very satisfied with her response. Rin continued to eat and when she finished, she leaned back with a sigh. She had eaten the food with such gusto that she almost forgot to breathe.

"_Where did you learn how to cook?"_ She asked. _"Your cooking is really __delicious!" _

"You read a recipe and follow it." He said in a nonchalant manner. Rin shook her head.

"_No wonder you are the ice prince." _She wrote and Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow higher and higher with each word he read. _"__Your words bite like the cold." _

"I don't understand."

"_Some people work hard almost every day to learn how to cook well! Especially girls who like to cook for their boyfriends! You make it sound like cooking is the easiest thing in the world. It is almost insulting to us.__" _She lectured him. Sesshomaru carefully considered her words.

"Is that what you do? You practice cooking for your non-existent boyfriend?" He asked and Rin pursed her lips and shook her fist at him.

"_I'm not answering that question." _She folded her arms across her chest. A slight smirk crossed his lips and Rin was shocked to see it. How could such a small smile make someone so handsome?

Sesshomaru stood from the table and collected the dishes.

"_I'__ll help you wash the dishes." _She signaled to him. Sesshomaru didn't argue with her since it was less work for him anyway.

They silently stood side by side at the kitchen sink. Sesshomaru soaped the dirty dishes while Rin rinsed them off under the water and placed them on the drying rack. Sesshomaru passed her a cup which she almost dropped and she glanced at him sheepishly.

"Hey! old lady, do your work properly." He scorned and passed her another dish. Their fingers brushed and Rin stopped. Before Sesshomaru grabbed another dish, she grabbed his hand and wrote on his soapy palm.

"_I think __I've seen this in a drama before. The girl and guy accidentally touch hands in the soapy water and they both get embarrassed."_ Rin smiled and clapped her hands. Sesshomaru ripped his hand away and continued to work.

"Childish." He said and Rin just chose to ignore him. She knew it was dumb. Rin quickly dried her hand on her pant leg and began to write on his arm.

"_I'm __just trying to make casual conversation, you know." _She continued. _"__I like watching dramas. What do you like to do on an ordinary day?" _

"Read." He answered simply, soaping the last dish and passed it to her. Rin almost rolled her eyes. She could have told him that.

"_What are you reading now?" _She quickly spelled out on his back as he began to walk away. Sesshomaru flipped off the kitchen light and Rin followed him up the stairs to his room. Before falling onto his bed, he grabbed his book and tossed it to her.

"See for yourself." He said. Rin jumped in surprise and barely caught the book. Rin wasn't very surprised when the book was about the psychology of persuasion and psychological warfare. She let out a small chortle. Of course he would read a book like this. She sat on the edge of the bed by his knees and turned to look at him. He watched as she wrote on the palm of her hand.

"_So now you're trying to play mind games with people?" _Sesshomaru slightly moved his head to get a better look at her.

"No." He said. "I think I'll just play games with you." Rin wasn't sure why, but something about his comment made her blush.

"_Well, two can play at that game." _She quickly brought her attention to the book and began to read. Before she even realized it, she was engrossed in the book and was already a few chapters in. She only remembered where she was when she shifted on the bed and slightly nudged against his knees. Looking over her shoulder, she noticed that Sesshomaru had fallen asleep. Sesshomaru lay with his arms folded behind his head and his eyes were closed.

She gently placed his book on the desk and glanced at him. Looking at the time, she bit her lip and brought a finger to her chin. It was really late and Sesshomaru must have been really tired. Despite being a jerk, he did allow her to sleep in his bed and he cooked for her. She felt guilty.

She decided it was a good time to leave. Rin slowly turned around, keeping her eye on him and tip toed towards the door. Rin paused midway and realized she didn't know where Mrs. Taisho left her groceries. Rin's heart jumped out of her chest from fright when Sesshomaru suddenly grabbed her by the back of the shirt collar and pulled her backwards. He glanced down at her and she lifted her head back to meet his gaze.

"Where are you going?" He asked but he already knew what she was thinking. Rin tried to protest by spelling something on her palm but Sesshomaru was already pulling her towards his bed. "Just go to sleep for the night and you can leave in the morning." He threw Rin onto the bed as is if she were a rag doll. Rin tried to gain his attention so she could protest but he wasn't paying attention to her. Sesshomaru grabbed something from his desk.

"Here, use this." He said, tossing her a new toothbrush. "I'll be on the living room couch. Don't wake me up unless it's an emergency." And as quickly as it all happened, Sesshomaru was gone from the room within seconds. He was obviously impatient and just wanted to sleep.

Rin sat in his bed and considered going to him and insisting that she return home. In the end, she decided against annoying him any further and just tucked herself in. It didn't take long for her eyes to start drooping. She didn't realize she was so tired and she quickly fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Rin was gently woken by Mrs. Taisho's cool hand on her forehead. She was checking if Rin's fever had gone down. Mrs. Taisho apologized for waking her but Rin was anything but annoyed. It wasn't often that Rin experienced a mother's love.

"Sesshomaru seems to have taken good care of you." She smiled. "Your fever is gone." Rin touched her own forehead and found her temperature was back to normal. Rin bowed her head to show Mrs. Taisho her thanks. She handed Rin her folded clothes.

"Here are your clothes. They are washed and dried. Come down for breakfast after you've washed up." She smiled and left the room. Rin quickly dressed and washed up before she quietly made her way down the stairs. Upon entering the kitchen, she noticed Sesshomaru was not there.

"He is still sleeping in the living room." Mrs. Taisho said quietly, upon seeing Rin looking around for him. "Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes. Can you wake him for me?" She smiled, placing cups on the table. Rin hesitated for a moment. She wasn't sure if it was appropriate to wake him but she found herself walking into the living room anyway.

Sesshomaru was asleep on the couch that was against the left wall of the room. One leg was propped up and his opposite arm was thrown over his eyes. Sesshomaru had closed the shades so the room was still dark. Rin was able to make out his silver hair. Rin stood at the entrance of the room and twiddled her thumbs. She hesitated on how to wake him. She wondered why Mrs. Taisho didn't wake him herself but Rin didn't have time to think about that. What was important was how she would wake him.

This was a moment when Rin wished she could speak. It would be so easy to call out his name. Rin looked around for something she could throw at him. The only thing she _could_ throw at him was a pillow but he was using them all. Rin sucked in a deep breath and pushed herself forward.

She tip toed over to his sleeping form and poked his chest. 'Wake up. Wake up!' She yelled as loudly as she could in her mind. Maybe he would hear her telepathically. Despite her constant prodding, he would not budge. This time, she placed both her hands firmly on his shoulders and shook him.

"What are you doing?" His voice broke through the silence and she slightly flinched. Rin could just barely make out his face. Sesshomaru shifted his body and grabbed both her wrists to stop her from shaking him. He startled her. "Why are you waking me?" He asked, sounding very irritated. Rin was mouthing frantically that his mother told her to wake him. Her hands were twitching in his grasp. Sesshomaru just watched her trying to explain herself. He released her and sat up causing Rin to shut her mouth abruptly. He ran a hand through his mussed hair and then looked at her. "You look like you're feeling better." He said and to her surprise, he touched her forehead with the back of his hand. A second later, Sesshomaru stood from the couch.

"Tell my mother I'll be down in fifteen minutes." And he left the room. For a moment, Rin sat in bewilderment and touched her forehead. She didn't stay sitting for long and opened all the shades in the room before making her way back to the kitchen. Mrs. Taisho was just setting down the last of the plates on the table when she walked in.

"Did you wake Sesshomaru?" She asked and Rin nodded. "So he will be down soon." Rin nodded again. Mrs. Taisho told her to sit down and her stomach grumbled at the sight of the food. It wasn't long before Sesshomaru made his way down. He showered and changed into clean clothes. His hair was still wet and Rin could see droplets of water on his shoulders. Sesshomaru pulled out the chair beside her and sat down. She caught a whiff of his soap and blushed when he caught her staring.

Rin and Sesshomaru ate breakfast quietly while they listened to Mrs. Taisho prattle on and on about neighborhood gossip. Rin found the whole thing to be quite amusing while Sesshomaru just seemed to block out her talking. Rin enjoyed a hot meal that took the chill out of her body.

At the end of breakfast, Rin offered to help Mrs. Taisho wash the dishes but she was only shooed away.

"I'm sure you're eager to return home." Mrs. Taisho said, handing Rin her groceries. Sesshomaru and Mrs. Taisho stood in the hallway while they saw Rin out. "Feel free to stop by any time. It was fun having you!" Mrs. Taisho smiled. Rin nodded enthusiastically. Although the time she spent there was awkward, it was also fun.

"_Thank you for everything. I will visit again." _Rin spelled out slowly on the palm of her hand. Rin gave them one more bow and gathered the bags. Mrs. Taisho went to nudge Sesshomaru forward but he was one step ahead of his mother. Sesshomaru took the bags out of Rin's hands. Rin tried to protest but Sesshomaru just interrupted her.

"I'll walk you home." He said and was already out the door. Rin gave Mrs. Taisho one last bow and quickly ran after him. To Rin's astonishment, he was already halfway to her apartment complex. His strides were so long that she had difficulty keeping up and so there were moments where he had to stop and wait for her.

Sesshomaru walked her all the way to her apartment door and placed the bags at her feet.

"Goodbye." He said. And without another word he turned to leave but Rin quickly scrambled forward to grab his hand. Sesshomaru looked at her as she wrote on his palm.

"_Thank you." _She scribbled. _"__Thank you for being so kind even though I was such a bother."_

"Don't get used to it." He said and turned to leave but Rin once again stopped him. Sesshomaru almost sighed heavily.

"_Can I really stop by your house again?" _She asked him.

"No." He snatched his hand back.

Rin bit the inside of her cheek and feebly waved goodbye as he walked to the stairs. Sesshomaru's footsteps slowed as he approached the top of the stairs and he stopped. Rin ceased her waving and watched him carefully. He turned and looked at her over his shoulder.

"…do whatever you wish." And with that, he left.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Every head in the classroom turned their heads in the direction of Mao and Chiyo's shrieks. Rin immediately slapped her hands over their mouths to shush them.

"S-sorry! We saw a cockroach by the windowsill." Mao lied. Her response earned a few shrieks from other girls in the class, but everyone resumed eating their lunches. Mao and Chiyo stared at Rin with dropped jaws.

"You were at his house?" Chiyo asked in a harsh whisper. "In his bed?" Mao added. Rin could only just shrug her shoulders and give them a 'well…yeah' kind of nod.

"Were you really sick or did you just-" Mao began to ask but Chiyo slapped her arm.

"What else happened?" Mao urged her to continue. Rin shrugged again.

"_He made me food and in the morning he walked me home." _She wrote. Mao and Chiyo were already trying to withhold their cries halfway through her sentence. _"His cooking is delicious!" _Rin added. Chiyo looked impressed.

"He really is a genius."

"What did he say to you?" Mao asked, not at all interested in Sesshomaru's cooking skills. Rin had to think about Mao's question and finally wrote her answer in her notebook. Mao and Chiyo looked upon her words eagerly but were disappointed to see 'We didn't talk much.'

"You spend a whole night at his house and you didn't talk?" Mao was astonished. "I know he doesn't like to talk but…nothing?" Mao asked. Rin just nodded.

"_He doesn't like me much. I don't think he wanted to talk to me." _Rin said. She couldn't help but chuckle a bit. The time they spent together was always because of some unfortunate reason.

"Did you meet Inuyasha?" Chiyo asked her. Rin shook her head.

"_He wasn't there. Maybe I'll meet him next time." _She wrote.

"Next time!?" Mao and Chiyo cried in unison. Rin looked unmoved by their expressions.

"_His mother invited me to come over again." _She said. They both squealed and clapped their hands.

"Was Sesshomaru alright with that? " Chiyo asked her. Mao smiled and swatted her hand.

"Sesshomaru has no choice. His mother is the one who wants her to come back."

Rin scratched her arm and Mao forcefully pushed her pencil into her hand. Mao tapped her notebook impatiently urging Rin to write quickly.

"_He told me I could do whatever I wish." _She said. Mao wrung her hands in the air.

"Auuugghh! What does that mean!?" She cried. Chiyo and Rin passed each other a quick look.

"It means she can do whatever she wants." Chiyo said. Mao forcefully shook her head.

"No no no, what does that _mean_?" She emphasized the last word. Chiyo just smacked a hand to her forehead and Rin chuckled.

"No wonder you can't keep a boyfriend for long. You probably drive them nuts trying to 'decipher' what they are saying!" Mao just pursed her lips and ignored Chiyo's mocking.

Mao kind of had a point. What was Sesshomaru trying to say? He surely did not think of her as a friend but Rin didn't think he necessarily hated her either. So…would he hate it if she talked to him again?

"Are you going to go over to his house today?" Chiyo suddenly asked. She hoped Sesshomaru was somewhere involved in her plans.

Rin blinked at the question and brought her attention to Kohaku, who sat across the room. Kohaku seemed to have noticed and he turned to smile at her. She blushed and looked away. This did not go unnoticed by Mao and Chiyo.

"Is Kohaku helping you with studying today?" Chiyo asked her. Mao let out an envious sigh.

"This isn't fair! Rin gets the attention of two princes!" She exclaimed. Rin could only disagree with her. She didn't think she had their attention at all.

* * *

"It looks like you still have difficulty." Rin dropped her pencil in misery. She dropped her forehead onto the desk and sighed. Kohaku lowered his face and gave her a handsome smile.

When school ended, Kohaku and Rin stayed behind and studied together in the classroom. Kohaku was so patient with Rin and he explained the problem so clearly, yet somehow she just couldn't focus.

"_I'm sorry, Kohaku_._" _She wrote. _"It's not you. I am just not getting it." _She said, miserably. Kohaku just broadened his smile and like a true prince, he decided it was a good time to stop.

"I didn't realize we were here for so long." He said, glancing at the time. "Let me walk with you to the train station." Before they packed their things, Kohaku circled some problems that he thought would be good for her to work on. "Whichever ones you don't understand, I will help you with… next time." He said, tilting his head to get a better look at her. Rin looked at him through her lashes and blushed.

Together they walked to the station. Their time consisted mostly of Kohaku talking. Rin tried her best to communicate with them but there was only so much she could say. Rin found herself thinking about Sesshomaru. It was amazing to her that Sesshomaru obviously didn't like her but she felt comfortable enough to grab his hand and write on it. Rin glanced at Kohaku's hand that swung by his hip. Kohaku was so kind…would he mind if she grabbed his hand?

Rin touched her phone in her pocket. Although using her phone was easier than writing on a paper, it was still a nuisance. Kohaku was so distracted with his thoughts that if she began to type something, he would have already moved onto the next subject.

"Don't you think so?" Kohaku asked her. Rin looked at him and smiled. She nodded without knowing what he asked. Kohaku laughed and scratched the back of his neck. "I'm sorry. I keep talking and talking. You must be bored." He said. Rin violently shook her head and waved her hands. Kohaku smiled even though he knew she was lying.

When they approached the entrance of the train station, Rin stopped in front of Kohaku and held the straps of her bag tightly. Kohaku scratched the back of his neck again.

"I'm sorry. Next time, I promise I will talk about something more interesting. I think I'm just nervous." He admitted. Rin was surprised at this. Was he nervous being with her?

"_I am also nervous. As you can tell, I am not very good at conversations." _Rin tried to reassure him. _"I enjoy listening to you talk." _

Okay, that was partially a lie.

"See you tomorrow." He said and Rin watched him leave her while she waved goodbye. She took a deep breath and let the butterflies settle in her stomach.

As Rin rode the train home, she stared out the window and watched the passing scenery. As she watched the sky grow dimmer with each passing moment, she couldn't help but feel a curious feeling of disappointment.

* * *

The next night, Rin sat at her kitchen table and worked on what Kohaku had attempted to teach her.

"What are you working on?"

Rin looked up from her textbook as her uncle walked into the kitchen.

"_I asked a classmate of mine to help me study. I'm doing the problems he suggested I work on." _She signed to him. Her uncle walked over to her and looked at the work over her shoulder.

"It looks like you're really struggling." He said. Rin looked back down at her work.

"_My classmate is very smart when it comes to math. He helped me twice already and he does a great job at explaining how to do the work but I just can't get it." _Rin sighed. Her uncle smiled and walked to get a glass of water.

"Don't ask me for help. I was never any good at school work." He laughed. He took a gulp of water and leaned against the sink. Rin just chuckled at her uncle and continued to work on the problems. He pointed at her book. "Maybe it's not you…maybe you just need to look for a different tutor." He joked. Rin ceased her writing and looked up. If a light bulb could magically switch on above her head, this was when it would happen. Her uncle didn't have a bad idea.

* * *

"What's wrong with you?" Naraku was actually astonished to look at Sesshomaru's face while he walked into the classroom. "You look like you're slowly dying of the plague." He said. Sesshomaru was not amused by his jokes and rested his head in his hand. Naraku dropped into his seat beside Sesshomaru and let out a hoot of laughter. "You're not sick, are you?"

"That damn girl gave me her cold." Sesshomaru growled. Naraku howled again with laughter and Sesshomaru winced in pain from the pounding headache at his temples.

"That means you saw her recently." Naraku leaned his chair back. Sesshomaru didn't say a word. "If you don't deny it then it must be true." He teased.

"She unknowingly helped my mother bring groceries home." Sesshomaru finally admitted. "She caught a fever from the rainstorm." Naraku smiled to himself.

"At least you'll have the weekend to recover." Naraku told him but Sesshomaru had a sneaking suspicion that was not going to happen at all.

* * *

It was the end of the school day and Rin and Chiyo were retrieving their shoes at the shoe lockers. Mao had already run off to tennis practice. A commotion from behind caused them both to turn their heads. The root of the commotion was none other than Sesshomaru slipping on his shoes and female students flocking around him. Watching him walk out, Rin began to frown. Chiyo asked her what was wrong.

"_Does something look wrong with him?"_

Chiyo glanced at Sesshomaru and turned back to Rin.

"He looks the same to me." She shrugged. Rin quickly brushed it off and slipped on her shoes. Chiyo waited before they began to walk home. Rin carefully studied Sesshomaru who walked several meters ahead of them.

"_As I thought, something is wrong with him."_ Rin said. She told Chiyo to wait a moment while she ran off. Rin struggled to catch up to him and searched through her bag as she ran.

Sesshomaru felt something hit his back and he stopped in his tracks. Looking down, there was a small blue and green bean sack at his feet. He picked it up and Rin ran up to him. She had to fold over and rest her hands on her knees while she sucked in deep breaths for air. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.

"Did you just throw this at me?"

Rin took out her phone and began to type her response, still breathing heavily.

"_You told me I needed to find a way to get someone's attention, right? What better way than to throw something at them." _She handed him her phone.

"Throwing something wasn't what I had in mind."

"_Don't worry. I will only throw this at you." _Rin smiled, perfectly serious.

"Fantastic." The sarcasm dripped from his voice He tossed the sack back to her and began to walk off. Rin tried to grab his arm to make him wait. She looked back to Chiyo who was, rather ecstatically, telling her to run after him. Rin gave her a silent apology but Chiyo just smiled and was already walking off. Rin ran to catch up with him again.

"_Are you alright?"_ She asked as the two walked to the train station.

"I'm fine." He lied. Rin found it rather difficult to walk with him while typing in her phone without painfully knocking into things. She waited until they were at the train platform before typing in her phone again.

"_You're lying." _She said. Sesshomaru sighed and eyed her carefully.

"I am not."

"_You are!"_ She said, defiantly. Sesshomaru thought he was going to strangle her. She had the habit of testing his patience. The train arrived just a moment later and Rin followed closely at his heels. Sesshomaru sat down and Rin quickly sat beside him which gave him an impatient twitch. Rin furiously typed in her phone and handed it to him.

"_When you ride the train you usually like to stand so you can look out the window but today you are sitting." _Sesshomaru looked at her and a glower was on her face. _"You're sick, aren't you?" _She wrote on her palm. Sesshomaru handed back her phone.

"I'm just tired." He said but Rin glared at him. He couldn't lie any longer. If it ceased her questions then he was just going to tell her the truth. He was sick.

"All thanks to you." He said and leaned his head back, shutting his eyes. For some time, Sesshomaru only focused on the vibration of the train and the dull ache in his head. He felt Rin take his hand and turn his palm up. He felt the familiar sensation of her finger tracing words on his skin.

"_Sorry" _She wrote. _"Do you want me to cook you something this time?"_

"I don't want to be sick AND die of food poisoning." He mumbled. He heard Rin release an irritated sigh. He felt her shuffle beside him but for the rest of the ride home, they both remained still. Rin stole small glances at his face and noticed that he did look quite sick. His skin looked greyer than his usual fair complexion. She also noticed the slight sheen of sweat on his forehead. Some strands of his hair clung to his face. He was probably sweating out the fever.

When the train was arriving at their stop, he felt Rin tug on the sleeve of his shirt to wake him. Once again, Rin followed him closely at his heels and it wasn't until they got out of the train station and onto the street that Sesshomaru stopped and turned around to face her.

"Why are you following me?" He asked. She placed her hands on her hips.

"_I do live in the same neighborhood." _She said. _"And I can't be concerned for your health?" _She asked.

Sesshomaru said nothing and quickened his step as he walked up the street. This did not stop Rin from sticking close behind him. She knocked into his back when he abruptly stopped walking again.

"Hold this for me then." A sarcastic smirk appeared on his handsome face but Rin never saw it. She was too busy staring at his bag that he passed to her. Her jaw went slack but she took it regardless. She supposed holding his bag was the least she could do for him. Rin quietly and obediently walked with him. She held his bag in one hand while she carelessly swung her own bag in the other. It was not until they approached her apartment complex did she finally stop him. Rin tugged the back of his shirt and he looked at her over his shoulder.

"What now?" He asked, impatiently. Rin put her hands out in front and silently told him to wait for a moment. He watched as she ran up the stairs and disappeared. Sesshomaru had no choice but to wait since she ran off with his bag. Knowing her, she probably took it on purpose because she knew he _would _leave. He heard her door slam as she entered and slammed again when she came back out. She came bolting down with a tin container in her hands. Sesshomaru looked at the tin container as she handed it to him.

"_Will you give this to your mother for me?"_

"What is this?" He asked. Rin was already typing on her phone.

"_In my old neighborhood there was a family who grew their own tea leaves. This is chrysanthemum tea for your mother." _She wrote. _"Drink some. It will also be good for your cold." _

Sesshomaru looked at the neatly packaged tea in his hands. This was obviously tea that she and her family really enjoyed.

"Isn't it hard for you to get this?" He asked her. Rin could only shrug slightly.

"_But I wanted your family to try it." _

Rin smiled but faltered when Sesshomaru handed the tea back to her. Rin assumed he was refusing it. Maybe he didn't like the gift.

"Give it to her yourself." He said. Rin looked at him with surprise. Did he mean now?

Rin looked at him with uncertainty but Sesshomaru said nothing and began to walk away. Rin wasn't sure what he meant but she wasted no time and ran back up the stairs to lock her door. Sesshomaru was half way up the street when Rin came running after him.

Sesshomaru opened his front door and his mother's voice greeted him from the living room. Mrs. Taisho peeked around the corner and was happily surprised to see Rin standing beside Sesshomaru in the doorway. Sesshomaru put his hand on top of Rin's head and pushed her forward.

"She has something for you." He said. Despite being bullied by Sesshomaru, Rin was all smiles as Mrs. Taisho came towards them.

"I am so glad you came back!" She clapped and Rin greeted her with a bow. "Oh? You have something for me?" She asked. Rin handed her the tea which Mrs. Taisho very happily accepted. She opened the top and was pleasantly surprised. "What kind of tea is this?" She asked.

"Chrysanthemum." Sesshomaru answered as he took his bag from Rin's fingers and slipped past them to walk into the kitchen. Mrs. Taisho inhaled the deep aroma of the dried flowers and sighed gleefully.

"I've never had chrysanthemum tea before!" She said. "Thank you, Rin." Rin smiled brightly. She felt like a child who was praised for good behavior.

"I'll be in my room." Sesshomaru interrupted and was already making his way up the stairs with a glass of water in his hands. Mrs. Taisho pursed her lips at her son's terrible hosting skills then put an arm around Rin's shoulders. "My son is so handsome and smart but he wastes those qualities away by having a personality like _that._" She shook her head. The disappointment in her voice was thick. Rin could only full-heartedly agree with her. "Are you staying for dinner?" Mrs. Taisho suddenly asked with a hopeful expression.

"_I have to make dinner for my uncle tonight." _Rin replied regretfully. Mrs. Taisho was disappointed but quickly demanded that Rin promise to have dinner with them next time. Rin could only eagerly nod her head in agreement and told Mrs. Taisho she would be happy to help her prepare dinner as well. When Mrs. Taisho refused the thought of her guest helping prepare dinner, Rin insisted she help prepare dessert.

"_I'm a really good baker!" _She wrote. Rin wasn't sure if it was normal to grow so fond of someone she hardly knew but she quite liked Mrs. Taisho. Rin couldn't deny that Mrs. Taisho was the mother she never had.

"Okay! Baking together sounds like fun!" Mrs. Taisho smiled and then pointed up the stairs. "Are you going up there?" She asked but Rin quickly shook her head.

"_Oh no no. I shouldn't. I got Sesshomaru sick and I think he should rest."_ She said. _"The tea will be good for him."_ She pointed to the tea, hoping to change the subject. Mrs. Taisho put a finger to her lips and nodded slowly.

"Hmmm…you're _absolutely_ right." She made her way into the kitchen. "Sesshomaru should drink some tea." Rin could not see Mrs. Taisho's expression but she heard a smile in her words. "Why don't you bring up some tea for you two?" She said, already putting the kettle on the stove. Rin realized there was no winning when it came to Mrs. Taisho. She felt a bit alarmed that Mrs. Taisho was relying so heavily on Rin to catch her son's attention, whether it was romantically or platonically. Sesshomaru was an expert at avoiding people and his mother was relying on Rin to dig him out of that hole. If only Mrs. Taisho would realize that Rin was not the person for that job. In Sesshomaru's eyes, Rin was just a bug he could step on.

"_I feel terrible for giving him my cold." _Rin said, apologetically. Mrs. Taisho just shrugged her shoulders and swatted her hand.

"He needs _some_ sort of challenge in his life. He never had to study for a difficult exam… he never got into any trouble…" Mrs. Taisho looked bored just talking about his lackluster life. "Well…Inuyasha on the other hand drives me up the wall." She mumbled that last sentence to herself. Rin found herself laughing.

"_I've heard that Inuyasha and Sesshomaru have two completely different personalities." _Rin said and Mrs. Taisho fully agreed with the statement.

"But I like to think they got their handsome looks from me." She placed a gentle hand to her face and although she meant that comment as a joke, Rin completely agreed.

Their conversation was interrupted when the kettle whistled loudly. Mrs. Taisho placed two cups on a small tray and poured the hot water. She handed Rin the tray and for a brief moment, Rin stood in the kitchen and stared at the tea. She watched as the dried flowers slowly bloomed in the water and floated to the top. She hesitated for a bit. She knew that the best thing was probably for him to be left alone and rest, but she could not fight the urge to make sure he was alright. Rin had to admit that she did not think Sesshomaru was particularly the nicest person. He was often a bully and a cad. She didn't think he deserved her care. _Well_, not that she was checking on him because she cared. No, not at all.

Rin let out a short huff of air. Well, he was the one who said she could come over to his house, so he couldn't complain if she stayed, right? And so Rin walked up the stairs to his room.

His door was left slightly ajar. Rin cautiously squeezed herself through the opening and fixed her gaze firmly on his tall figure. He certainly did not look ecstatic to see her but, nonetheless, he allowed her to stay. She walked in while he was in the middle of changing out of his school uniform and into something more comfortable. He had already changed into sweatpants and was pulling off his shirt. The moment she saw a flash of his skin, Rin's gaze flew to the ceiling and there it remained until she was sure he was finished. She slowly made her way to his desk to place the tray down.

Sesshomaru pulled a t-shirt over his head and she met his narrowed eyes and blushed. She gave him a rather sheepish glance.

"You're the one who walked into _my_ room." He said in an uncaring manner and sat in his bed, throwing his blanket over his lap. He leaned back against the head of the bed and shut his eyes. For a brief moment, Rin was unsure of what she should do. It was almost like he was telling her it was her call what she did. So Rin grabbed his book and grabbed his desk chair, pulling it to the bedside. He opened his eyes as she sat down and she placed his book beside his leg so he could read if he chose to.

"Please d_rink this! It will help you feel better." _Rin scribbled on his bed and handed Sesshomaru a cup.

"Maybe you should stop focusing on others and just focus on yourself." He said. Rin was surprised and for a moment she wondered if he was concerned about her. Her question was quickly answered when he spoke again. "No charm…no looks, bad grades, no boyfriend…" He muttered, sipping his tea. Rin's mouth fell open. Although he was insulting her, she couldn't fight back.

"_What does having charm have to do with anything?"_ She practically shoved her cellphone in his face.

"He probably likes girls with charm." Sesshomaru said. And by 'he' he meant Kohaku. Rin felt a migraine coming on. Curse the heavens for letting Sesshomaru see them together that one time.

"_Just because I am friends with someone does not mean I like him."_ She argued to which Sesshomaru responded with a smirk. He knew she was lying and it embarrassed her. Rin situated herself on the chair so that she was facing away from him and she focused on sipping her tea. She had plenty of charm. She didn't think she was particularly pretty but she wasn't horrifying to look at either. Rin none too gently slammed her tea on his desk and began to furiously type in her phone again.

"_Are you deliberately trying to make me feel terrible?"_ Sesshomaru read and felt quite amused by her frustrated reactions. _"You may have the looks but you don't have any charm."_ Rin said. Well…that was definitely a lie and Rin hated to admit it to herself. His stoic and brooding character _was_ his charm. That was part of what made him so irresistible. Rin almost shook her head to herself. Thankfully, Sesshomaru did not challenge her retort and the room grew silent again. He took a deep gulp of tea and enjoyed the feel of the warm liquid ease his dry throat.

"This tea is good." He finally spoke. Rin was quite pleased with his reaction.

"_It is, isn't it? My neighbor's tea was quite popular in my town." _She informed him.

"Did they sell it?" He asked. Rin shook her head.

"_At least, not to the town folk. Our town was so small that we were like family." _She smiled. _"My friends and I didn't even need phones because if we wanted to talk we could just open our bedroom windows." _Sesshomaru watched as her smiled broadened with each word she typed.

"_I am still learning how to use this cell phone. I only have four numbers in my contacts." _She wrote. Sesshomaru was surprised at that fact. Four? Even he had more than four contacts.

"Only four?" He echoed.

"_My uncle, Chiyo, Mao, and Kohaku." _A blush appeared on Rin's face when realizing how small her contact list was.

"How did you communicate with your friends back home without a phone?" He asked. He was surprised to find that he was genuinely curious. Rin lifted her hand and pointed to her palm. She would write on their palms.

"_I feel like city people will not feel comfortable if I do that so my uncle bought me a phone."_ She told him. _"Surprisingly, you do not seem to mind when I do it to you though." _She smiled brightly. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow in a mocking way.

"Don't let it get to your head." He said and Rin thinned her lips. And here she was thinking they were _finally…_kind of…sort of getting along. Rin just pulled some hair behind her ear and cleared her throat. She touched the book on his bed and began to flip through it.

"_Your mother told me that you never study. Did you become so smart from reading?" _She asked him.

"Perhaps." He answered simply and to his surprise, he watched as a curious pink blush sprinkled across her cheeks. Rin cleared her throat again only to clear it again several moments later. Sesshomaru unknowingly straightened up as she eyed him warily. He had a bad feeling grow in the pit of his stomach.

There were actually two reasons why she was sitting in his room that very moment. First, she wanted to deliver the tea and the second…

"_Your mother invited me over for dinner next week." _She scratched her arm. For a moment, he thought that was what she seemed so nervous about. However, Rin's blush only deepened. He leaned forward which made Rin grow even more uncomfortable. _"Before you mentioned that I have bad grades." _

Sesshomaru read her message and eyed her. What was she trying to tell him? Rin began to fiddle with her fingers and bit her bottom lip until she broke some skin. The second reason why she was sitting in his room was that wanted to ask Sesshomaru to be her tutor. Since her uncle brought up the idea, Sesshomaru just seemed like the logical choice. He had the top grades and he was the only one she felt _somewhat_ comfortable asking for help. She spent the last couple of days thinking of how she would ask him. Since she saw him earlier that day, she had been dying to ask him. Rin just hoped he didn't hate her too much to reject her plea.

"Yes." He said. He answered her mainly to make some sort of noise without actually saying much. She wasn't making much sense to him. She fumbled as she typed on her phone.

"_Well, that is definitely true." _He read. Sesshomaru grew impatient watching her fidget beside him. He released a sigh that was one part frustration and the other part irritation. His patience was wearing thin.

"Rin." He ground and Rin was so surprised that he had called her name that she froze. "What. Is. It?" He demanded and without warning, she grabbed his hand. Dear lord! Rin thought. She must have been losing her mind.

"_Please please please!" _She wrote on his palm. _"Would you please help me study?" _Before she could finish writing the last bit of the sentence, Sesshomaru ripped his hand away.

"Absolutely not." He drew back slightly with surprise. Rin looked positively disappointed. She folded her hands together and begged him. Her eyes were frantic with desperation. "Find someone else." He ignored her desperate eyes and calmly sipped the last of his tea. Rin bit her lip and scratched the back of her neck.

"_Kohaku has kind of been helping me a bit." _

"Isn't that perfect for you then?" Rin briskly shook her head.

"_It is perfect to spend the time with him but I cannot concentrate when he helps me!" _

"This does not concern me!" Sesshomaru stared at her as if she had grown two heads. This girl was brave to ask him for such a favor after all the trouble she had put him through.

_"I'll tell your mother!" _She said with a serious expression.

"Are you threatening me now?"

"_Pleeaaasseee!" _She mouthed to him. _"I cannot fall behind in school!" _She wrote quickly on his bed.

"No."

"_But you are so smart! Helping me won't be difficult for you!" _Rin persistently continued to beg and plead with him. Her cheeks grew red with the exertion and he thought she might quite possibly faint. Sesshomaru put a hand to his forehead in disbelief at his luck. He could not believe the turn of events. And for the life of him, he could not believe what he did next.

"Fine." He finally said and the moment the word passed his lips, he thought he lost his mind. He clearly had some loose screws. Sesshomaru believed he had a momentary lapse of judgment due to his fever. Rin's eyes nearly bulged out of her head and she jumped up from the chair nearly knocking it back. Rin could hardly contain her relief as she threw her arms in the air. Sesshomaru pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation.

"_I am so happy. My cheeks hurt from smiling." _She wrote on his palm. _"Thank you! I promise I will not bother you anymore after this!" _Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"I doubt that is true." He said but Rin was too happy to hear his insults. Sesshomaru hated to admit it but seeing Rin so cheerful made him hate the situation a bit less. However, that did not make him feel any less annoyed. To his relief, Rin finally sat back down and grinned from ear to ear.

Sesshomaru had to lean back and run a hand through his hair. What in the world was he doing? Rin turned his palm over to write on it.

"_May I have your phone number?" _She asked. Sesshomaru tossed his phone to her since he no longer had the energy to argue. He listened as she entered his phone number in her contacts.

"Do not think you can message me so casually." He said. He opened his eyes and Rin was smiling brightly with a blush. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"What are you smiling at?" Rin opened her phone and showed him her contact list. There he could see his name at the bottom with a smiley face beside it. His head throbbed with a migraine.

"_Now I have five people."_ She giggled and her happiness seemed so genuine that Sesshomaru was strangely unable to take his eyes off her.

His sanity, he decided as he watched her smile at him, was something he needed to seriously question.


End file.
